


When the Moon Reaches for the Stars

by Dr_Latenshi



Category: Persona 3, Touhou Project
Genre: F/F, Gen, Imaginary Friends, Literary References & Allusions, Persona AU, Trains
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-04-23 00:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 105,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14319972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dr_Latenshi/pseuds/Dr_Latenshi
Summary: A dreamlike encounter, a romance with something fabricated. Usami Sumireko is a girl that only experienced the world around her through the lenses of a mask. A girl content living in her own world, yet a near-death experience forced her to live in a reality that is stranger than any of her dreams. This is a story of a girl's intertwining dreams and reality, of a girl whose delusions are challenged by the world around her. This is a story of a "Sealing Club", as told by the scratches of a dreaming girl's pen.Persona 3 AU with mostly Touhou cast, but with the old cast remaining here and there. Contain changes in plot details and characterization as necessary due to some changed circumstances.Active again. Chapter 1-5 currently is being rewritten.





	1. Prologue: Dream of Butterfly

### Prologue: Dream of Butterfly

The moon was out in its full glory. On such a clear night like this, one would think better than to spend their time in a run-down pub in the middle of nowhere. There were barely any customers there, the ones that remained were either heavy drunkards unable to live without alcohol, or someone like me, whose business was to pry into other people’s lives.

“My name is Usami Renko, and I would like to ask a few questions regarding JOKER.”

“JOKER? Never heard of that.” The person who replied was a mean-looking old man. A worthless, jobless waste of human society. I shook my head upon hearing his oblivious response.

“That shouldn’t be. It’s all the rage among the people in this city lately. You’d have to live under a rock to not have heard the name.”

My conversation partner was one of the many regulars here. Although, perhaps ‘conversation partner’ was pushing it a bit. A conversation involved two people talking to each other - active two-way communication. So far this session has been entirely one-sided, and his reluctance was beginning to rub me the wrong way.

“If you write down the name of someone on this website, a curse will befall them the next day. What this curse is varies from one source to another.” As I recited the contents of the rumor, my eyes scanned over the man’s face, trying to find even a slight twitch in his expression. “I heard from your friend that you’ve used the website and wrote the name of your ex. As both of us should know, she was found dead last week.”

I stopped going around in circles and went straight to the point. A direct, blunt approach was best against someone wishy-washy like him. If Merry was here she would have had less trouble getting through even to scums like him. Without her I had to make do.

“You are one of the few who correctly utilized the ritual to properly use the site. So, I would like to know-“

“Curses? Ritual? Stop talking nonsense and get out!”

My words finally incited a reaction from him – he turned around violently and stared at me. His face made it clear that he was very drunk, and he was moments away from having his fist fly towards me. This development prompted a smile from myself, but before I could say anything I caught the disapproving gesture from the barkeep, which made me back down. Perhaps I need to reevaluate my approach.

“Calm down, Renko...think about this more clearly…” A review of the situation might be necessary.

Right now I am in a small pub in Kyoto. I was trying to extract information from a drunkard about a cursed website. He was supposedly one of the few to ever use it correctly, resulting in several deaths, and he was the only one I managed to track down. He cast a ‘curse’ on his former lover and one of his friends caught wind of it. Singling out the truth of the actual rite needed for the website from the many conflicting rumors was my priority. I needed to do so before I could actually investigate anything about the website itself. I admit, I might have been too excited at the prospect of a breakthrough after weeks of fruitless searching. So I did not sufficiently investigate this man before I approached him. It was my mistake.

However that may not be necessary.

“Please let me finish first.” My smile returned as I recomposed myself. “Actually, I am well aware of the exact details of the ritual. I am here to make sure whether you have properly performed the post-curse cleansing rites.”

“Wh-What do you mean?” The man’s voice, still dismissive and angry, was filled with curiosity and a hint of worry. 

“It’s not as well known a rumor, but let tell you something interesting. Should you correctly perform the rites, you would be able to access a terms-of-use page somewhere on the site. You may have noticed the link to that page on the left corner of the site just before you entered your target’s person information if you looked at the page properly.” Her tone of voice slowly increased in pitch, to excite both herself and the attentive listener in front of her.

“In it, it says that those who call upon the curse shall also be afflicted by the same curse after a certain amount of time. By using the site to kill someone, your life has been forfeit to it.”

“T-that’s nonsense... You’re spewing crap, aren’t you?” His fear was now audible. The ‘facts’ I mentioned were entirely my own invention. It wouldn’t fool anyone fully calm and rational, but since he had used the site itself and yielded success from it, he was a lot easier to manipulate.

“I am a private detective first and foremost. I have been investigating a series of deaths caused by sudden heart attacks in quick succession. Those deaths at first seemed to be entirely natural, but my investigation led to an interesting fact. Most of the deaths were people who have used the site.”

“Nonsense, nonsense! Stop lying to me!”

Every words that I spoke made the man paler, and by the time I finished my sentence, he was shaking. For someone that believed a mere site was able to take someone’s life easily, believing that the same site could take theirs just as easily wouldn’t be a stretch. I maintained my composure as I kept my gaze locked on his. The mental walls protecting his valuable information were crumbling, brick by brick.

“It would be best for you to stop denying your involvement. I am not here to arrest you. I am here to save your life.” I pulled my phone from my pocket, and after a little bit of playing with its buttons, I presented several news headlines to him. Mysterious deaths, obituaries, of both wealthy and poor, those were simply random deaths happening in this city, and they were unrelated to each other, but would a man in this situation think clearly enough to see that? No, I’m certain all that he could see was evidence that strengthened his fear towards the curse I invented minutes ago.

“Human life is fleeting. Rich or poor, young or old, anyone can be killed by this. All because they thought they could play around with someone else’s life for petty reasons.”

“...Alright, I give up. I really did use the cursed site, so please....tell me how to stop it from killing me!” The fear in the man that had admitted defeat was palpable; his hysteric tone as he begged me to tell him how to cleanse himself from the curse was the desperation of someone with no options left. My smile remained. If Merry was here, she would’ve scolded me for doing something like this. Perhaps I went a little too far.

“It’s best not to tell you here. Could you lead me to your place? I will tell you the exact details along the way.”

X-X-X

The next day I decided to not attend my classes. 

A teenage detective by night, and regular Japanese university student by day. That was the life that I, Usami Renko, was supposed to live but today I simply didn’t feel like it. I managed to obtain what I wanted last night by convincing that man that the cleansing ritual was performed by reversing the order of the ritual process. For good measure, I also ‘obtained’ the contents of his computer, with the help of some sedatives and an extra external hard drive. 

It was surely illegal to do so, but as long as nobody caught on, then it should be alright.

Today was the last day before Golden Week, and I was already eager to rush to see Merry again. My luggage was by my side, looking like it was about to burst already. Since I overslept, I ended up just throwing some clothes, my laptop, and some equipment in it. I could imagine Merry scolding me for not folding my clothes properly already, but my belief that there’s nothing wrong with being messy will not budge.

The moment I thought of her, she overwhelmed my thoughts. Maribel Hearn. Or so she said her name was. She wrote it differently for some reason, and since I’m not good with foreign names, I end up calling her Merry all the time. She was why I was supposed to pack up in the first place. She was hospitalized in Tokyo, and I’ve been preparing to visit after weeks of not seeing her. The reason she was hospitalized… neither of us knew yet. It didn’t seem to be anything serious, but the doctors didn’t want to let her go. She called me a few days ago and she sounded perfectly fine. It’s definitely not something major. I couldn’t wait to see her again. I wonder if she’s still wearing the loose hospital clothing that showcased her-

Ah, not good. I almost drooled. She’s wonderful in a way that’s hard to put into words. As someone once said, if one cannot speak one must therefore remain silent. So I won’t try to put it into words. Here, in this train station, I continued to stare into the railway before me.

My train arrived not long after. The sight of the Tokaido Shinkansen brought back fond memories for me, even if it had only been a few months since I last boarded it. I wouldn’t label myself a full-time train enthusiast, but trains have always fascinated me since I was young. Riding them was a different sensation from all the other forms of mass transportation. Boarding a train and looking outside the window was like looking at a movie – a documentary. And of course, where best to appreciate it than on the busiest railway network in the world?

Though even with my interest in trains, I would rather see Merry as soon as possible. So being stuck on the slowest train service available was a bummer. It was entirely my fault. I knew the trains would be more occupied with Golden Week on the brink, but since I was too fixated on my case I forgot to book my seat in advance.

Oh well.

The vista of Japan’s countryside shown from the train windows was pleasing enough for me to get over my disappointment. A sight so beautiful, it’s hard to think that even today it was still a genuine sight rather than simply a movie reel being played with the windows as the display screen. 

Technology had yet to reach that point, thankfully. I firmly believed that there wouldn’t be any need for such a thing in the first place. The sight of these rural farmlands and pristine wilderness will always be frozen in the past - no matter how much the world around them change, they would refuse to move forward. As they should be.

Still, even the beautiful scenery couldn’t stop me from yearning for Merry’s presence. I was too used seeing her sitting in front of me during trips like this. We would then talk about the most inane things, but with Maribel those felt incredibly engaging. I still remember the many times Merry listened closely as I went on hour-long tangents about findings from recent scientific publications, or that one time we debated about the artistic merits of both Hokusai and Hiroshige, two classic masters with polar opposite approaches to their art. I particularly found Hiroshige’s true-to-life approach to be more fitting to my tastes, yet Merry was fiery in her defense of Hokusai’s mad yet imaginative approach.

Busy with myself, I almost didn’t notice a nearby presence. A girl sat down right in front of me, where Merry usually would sit. She didn’t seem to be that interested in me, but she still ended up turning her head towards me with interest when I spaced out earlier.

“Pardon me for intruding your daydream. Is it fine if I sit here?”

“Ah.. um, that’s alright. Don’t mind me then.”

Despite the awkward start, I ended up talking with this stranger to ease my own boredom and loneliness. She somehow got lost and only managed to find her seat here and now. Her destination wasn’t Tokyo but instead a seaside city on the way. Although the name of the city was unfamiliar to me. Circumstances aside, she was a pleasant and polite person, and I ended up introducing myself fully to her. “I’m Usami Renko. You can just call me Renko.”

“Usami, as in the famous college detective, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Sometimes I forgot that I was decently well-known. No harm in that, but I didn’t solve these cases for popularity, so such a thing was rarely of my concern.

“Miss Detective, I’m sure you’ve heard about the rumors that floated about lately, right?”

“Which rumor would that be?” I had a guess ready, but I let the girl elaborate.

“Let’s see...it is about that site – JOKER Curse Service...”

I listened to what she had to say. Nothing she said was new information to me, but I listened to her regardless. It was always nice to see how people see things in the cases I was investigating. At the very least, the possibility of listening to something new would be something I’d hate to miss.

“Hm, feels like everyone knows about JOKER these days. It does mean that asking around for information about the site becomes harder and harder lately.” I nodded to myself. Especially since the deaths associated with JOKER ended up on being covered by mainstream newspapers and national television.

“To be perfectly honest, I am a little concerned. I don’t think I’ve done something to earn anyone’s resentment, but I fear being targeted by someone as a prank.” The girl sounded more mature than her apparent age, and despite voicing her concern, her tone was calm. I liked that. She was still composed regarding the issue rather than fully buying into the panic.

“No, I assure you that won’t be. The website thing has to be some kind of fear mongering the killer’s doing to make his activities more inconspicuous. The rumor’s clearly bogus.”

“I understand, although how fast the rumor’s spreading, one can’t help but feel a little unsteady…” The blue-haired girl was definitely worried. Even if she didn’t believe in the curse, the deaths related to it were very real.

“I don’t know what else to say. Curses like that is nothing more than fiction. Buying into the rumor would only cause unnecessary panic. It is simply a fabrication made by a serial killer. It’s not real.”

“Then, what do you think is real?” The worry and unsureness in her voice disappeared as she regained composure upon asking that. It seemed that she was also interested in my insight on this case. Although, her question sure was worded in a strange way.It made me raise my eyebrows

“Oh, sorry. I mean, the reason behind this murder spree.” The girl seemed to thought that her previous sentence was confusing me, and attempted to clarify. “People are dying after all. You said that this is the doing of a serial killer. What might be their motive in committing such a randomized murder spree?”

“That’s why I’m investigating this. There are too many unknown variables right now.”

Saying that out loud almost felt like I was admitting defeat, but there really had been barely any breakthrough that I had managed to achieve with this case so far. Last night perhaps was the only significant lead I had managed to achieve the past week.

“It does make you wonder, right? What is real and what isn’t?” Her smile became more and more confident. I couldn’t help but feel that she was trying to corner me for some reason, even if the content of our conversation had been benign so far.

“That’s an… interesting way to phrase it.”

“Please, pay it no mind, Detective Usami. This is truly a terrible time, where lies are treated as the truth and reality felt like a particularly bad dream. I couldn’t help but feel confused and scared at times whenever I read the news.”

We spent the rest of our time talking about other topics afterwards. She was a lot more spirited than before and it made the conversation more enjoyable. She proved herself to be an insightful individual, and for the first time in a long while I was intrigued about someone other than Merry.

“I believe you have not yet introduced yourself, miss.” As I said that, I started to feel dizzy. Maybe fatigue and sleep deprivation had caught up with me. “I think I will take a short nap first though.”

“Oh, I will get off soon.” That was disappointing. Hopefully we would be able to meet again later.

“Is that so? Well, it’s nice to have met you then.” 

“It is indeed nice to be able to talk to you too, detective. Now, sweet dreams.” And then she was gone. If I had to say, she was quite a peculiar individual. 

My eyes become heavier. Right, I could afford a little sleep now. I confirmed the door was closed and locked, and that I was alone and then leaned my temple against the window glass. Thoughts of Merry clouded my consciousness and lulled me into a deep sleep, but as I closed my eyes, I saw for just a second, a hint of the blue haired girl’s smile lingering. The girl was about to speak...


	2. Butterfly of Dreams

### Chapter 1: Butterfly of Dreams

_‘The time to fulfill your contract is coming…’_

With a groan, Usami Sumireko opened her eyes to find herself alone aboard a train. Her temple was pressed against the glass window and it started to feel sore. Her eyes were right next to the window so she saw the outside scenery as soon as she woke up. It was pitch blackness instead of the beautiful afternoon countryside image she hoped to see. She pushed herself up to an upright sitting position to look around. It was evidently quite late at night. Next to her, the seats were as empty as the ones in her dream.

She had a strange dream, now that she thought about it. It was a dream of the story she was writing until just before she fell asleep. That by itself wasn’t rare, she dreamed of her two characters all the time. It was that the dream this time felt so vivid and real. It was a happy dream, Sumireko had to say. It turned a little unfamiliar halfways through though. A blue-haired girl that Sumireko didn’t remember writing out.

Sumireko then looked around and saw a screen indicating the last stop of the day, Iwatodai. 

_The last stop for the day is Iwatodai. Iwatodai._

“Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late.”

The announcer’s voice rang throughout the car as Sumireko felt the train stop. She checked over her belongings one last time. Her high school uniform, bag, music player, wallet, suitcase, notebooks, everything was still there and neatly packed. 

Satisfied, she disembarked.

Since she was alone, it took her no time at all to go through the ticket gate. She was in the station proper just moments later. Sumireko looked around the station and found less people there than she expected. It was night time so she shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was certainly glad she didn’t have to trudge through a crowd this late. She pulled out her Walkman and fired up one of her favorite tracks on loop.

_~Dream of butterfly, I wish life’s a dream._

_Don’t wanna wake up, cause I’m happy here!~_

The rest of the song was a little difficult to sing so she hummed along.

When she stepped outside, the sight of the city made her pause. It began to sink in now that she was truly away from the city she lived in for the past decade. The air smelled different in a way she couldn’t quite pinpoint. Iwatodai. Sumireko remembered this city to be her birthplace but she had to leave to live with her aunt in Kyoto, ten full years ago. So she didn’t remember Iwatodai anymore. Yet upon her arrival she felt a shred of nostalgia. For good or for worse, she was back. Curious, she pulled out her phone to check the time. It was close to midnight.

“Wait, no, I actually will be late!” That wasn’t part of her plan. She should have arrived two hours earlier. Her train must have experienced a delay while she slept soundly. Sumireko grabbed her luggage and ran. The streets and its desolate lack of people offered her little comfort as her suitcase bumped on the gravel and created a lot of noise. Sumireko hoped that the bag wouldn’t suddenly break from the abuse she was putting it through.

Her new dorm shouldn’t be too far if she remembered it correctly. The houses here all looked the same, but Sumireko was never very good at navigating through urban areas. Concrete buildings all look the same. At least Kyoto had some temples to add some color to the environment, and the city layout was very neat and well-organized.

_“You… you’ve changed so much.”_

From nowhere Sumireko heard a voice call out to her. She looked around, confused. There was no one around. The area was wide open. Only a single lamppost stood nearby, lighting up the dark empty street. She couldn’t quite make out what the voice said, but something inside of her comprehended it. Without being able to find the source of that voice, Sumireko let out a sigh.

“The train trip was tiring, sure, but this is new. I’m pretty sure I can tell when I’m seeing things.” She wondered, perhaps it was a ghost? Immediately Sumireko snickered at what she just thought, but inside she hoped that it really wasn’t. 

Right as she was going to turn around, she noticed a petite figure standing a distance away, clad in a long, purple antique dress. Her hair was blonde and very long, and her body and skin were perfectly sculpted like a porcelain doll. A little doll dressed in pretty clothes. Sumireko was sure the girl wasn’t there before – Sumireko would have noticed something like her. The girl had her back turned to Sumireko, unmoving.

Then, as if noticing Sumireko was there, the girl turned her head around. The unnatural precision as the girl did so unnerved Sumireko. What she saw then, was a young girl’s face, sculpted to perfection. 

_~I cannot face the sun, but I cannot dream at night~_

The girl started to speak. The track Sumireko left on was still playing, and because of it Sumireko couldn’t hear what the girl just said. She was about to remove her earphones to ask again,

_~So under the moonligh-_

When the hour turned midnight.

The world transformed in that one moment as the street lights and her music player went out cold. The black tint of the night turned a deep shade of green, puddles became colored in blood, and the moon above grew several sizes in magnitude as its oppressive green glow covered the world. People vanished and were replaced with huge black coffins. All this happened in the span of about a second.

Standing there amidst the bizarre happening, Sumireko sighed. 

“There it is again.” Her expression turned sour as she stood alone without any coffins in the immediate vicinity. She had hurried for the exact reason of wanting to avoid this sight. Why did she stop in the middle of the road again?

She couldn’t quite remember. Maybe she was just daydreaming about Maribel again. Sumireko began walking. Now that it had hit, there was no need to rush anymore. “So under the moonlight, I’ll march on...”

Sumireko’s everyday life was plagued by this certain phenomenon she had come to vaguely call ‘the midnight hour’. As its name indicated, every night at exactly midnight, the world around her would transform into a grotesque caricature of itself for exactly one hour. No one other than Sumireko was aware as everyone else would inexplicably turn into coffins when the time came. For the rest of the world, time continued like normal as if there wasn’t an entire hour’s gap in time. For Sumireko, it was a mind-boggling mystery that troubled her to no end, even though nothing had ever happened in them.

“Ah, I was hoping this wouldn’t happen in Iwatodai too...” It had been a while since she fully experienced this midnight hour, and the feeling of solitude that it brought to her was strangely comforting after so long. If only she understood anything about it…

She hung her head down and continued her walk at a sluggish pace when...

***BANG***

An explosion rang out in the distance and disturbed the serenity just as Sumireko began to indulge herself in it. Her first thought was that it might’ve been another hallucination, another trick of the mind. 

But that changed moments later as Sumireko noticed a dark silhouette in the distance hopping from building to building. She shook her head to reconfirm she was still of sound mind, but when she opened her eyes again the silhouette was still there, moving around. It was about to disappear from her sight. That awoke in her a sudden feeling of urgency and curiosity, and it made Sumireko chase after the shadow. 

She was aware that she wasn’t thinking clearly. She had no reason to chase after it. It might actually be quite dangerous. It’s not like she would be anywhere near capable enough to catch up to it either. But to think something else could move within this time. 

As expected, she found herself panting on the ground nearby very quickly, completely exhausted. There was only so much a physically frail girl like her could exert.

“Just what was that? It’s already gone... I’ve never seen anything like that at this time…” Sumireko let herself lie on the ground, getting small bits of dirt and gravel all over her clothes. “Hah… It’d be terribly convenient if it came my way instead.”

Doubts began to seep in, whether she even actually saw the shadowed figure earlier. As hard as it was to admit it, she was in no position to chase a shadow no matter how much her curiosity ordered her to. No, it really must’ve just been a hallucination. She was tired after all. 

That was it then, no more detours for her tonight. She pushed herself up and returned to walking through the streets towards where her dorm was supposed to be. With her music player still not working, Sumireko continued humming the song earlier to distract herself from the thought of the shadowed figure.

This newfound rhythm was soon disturbed again however. A sound from the shadows in a nearby alleyway caught Sumireko’ attention. It sounded like something was being extended very quickly, and it was heading towards her direction! Sumireko ducked, and narrowly avoided a fatal blow as a set of claws passed through empty air and buried themselves on the concrete. From the corner she saw a dark blob slowly crawl over. It was unlike anything she’s ever seen before, it was a puddle of liquid but it moved like it had a solid mass to it.

Sumireko was scared silent. The right words didn’t come to mind, much less the need to say them. Something was attacking her and she had never seen it before. But, she kept observing it.

Whatever it was, the blob was slow enough that Sumireko could look at it more closely. It was a puddle of black goo, with a pair of thin arms and a distinct-looking expressionless red mask adorning its top. An animatronic? No, those wouldn’t be operational at this hour. Nothing should’ve been around at this hour. Demons? Aliens? Terrors that mere men couldn’t understand? Now that she thought about it, it seemed like it could be some kind of otherworldly horror, like the ones she liked reading about. That lessened her fear somewhat, strangely enough. She stopped trembling.

The blob lunged at her again and Sumireko immediately leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding it. She heard the sound of it hitting a nearby coffin and she didn’t look back. There was no room for thought, Sumireko’s basic instincts took over her. She ran. Without even seeing where she was going, she ignored the suitcase she left behind and sprinted as hard as she could. She could hear the blob crashing into things behind her, further prompting her to not stop. The first turn that she noticed was an opportunity to shake off the blob, and she took it the moment she reached it.

It only led to a narrow passageway with one way out. Sumireko cursed her luck the moment she realized it but with no choice left, she kept running anyway until she backed herself into a corner filled with trash. For a moment, she behind and couldn’t see the blob anymore in the distance. She hoped for a moment it didn’t chase after her and breathed a sigh of relief. Which didn’t last long.

Sumireko gritted her teeth. Who would’ve thought that her first day returning to Iwatodai would include running away from a monster and could possibly lead to her dying. This city really was out for her and her family’s blood. Ignoring the surrealness of the situation at hand for the time being, Sumireko grabbed the nearest solid object, a wooden stick, and stood her ground as the blob appeared again.

She couldn’t die like this. Renko, no, Maribel wouldn’t allow it. Holding the stick before her, Sumireko made her resolve - yet at the same time, she feared for her life. She was shaking and shivering, and inside her mind she was skeptical that she’d be able to get out of this alive.

“C-come on! You don’t… you don’t scare me at all!” As shaky as her voice was, she shouted loudly to gather scraps of what was left of her courage.

The shadow lunged with its claws, and Sumireko attempted to block it with her stick. It was far more powerful than what she expected however, and the stick broke into pieces, forcing Sumireko to duck before her face ended up being smashed into the concrete.

Still refusing to back down, she started throwing whatever she could get her hand across. Rocks, bricks, garbage, bottle shards, all of those landed squarely on the blob but it didn’t seem to budge a bit. For her effort, Sumireko ended up being driven to the wall as the blob rammed her directly.

“Damn it… I can’t just die here now…”

The direct hit was painful, and the small scrap of Sumi’s courage had evaporated the instant it dawned on her that there was nothing else she could do. She huddled herself into the corner, whimpering. “I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…” Any scrap of confidence she displayed earlier were nowhere to be seen.

“Anyone… someone… Renko… please, save me....” Sumireko braced herself for the impact. 

Yet, no final blow came. Sumireko didn’t hear anything, but she still felt her heart beating. 

As she opened her eyes, her gaze was treated to the sight of several needles piercing the blob just before it attacked her. It seemed like it disabled the blob, as its movements slowed to a halt. Before the blob could react, several paper ofuda appeared in the air and formed a box around it. And then, light consumed it. A strange unintelligible shriek preluded its death. Sumireko averted herself from being blinded by the light show. When she opened her eyes again, the blob was gone.

“Could it be... Renko?” Still on the ground surrounded by the garbage heap, Sumireko turned her head towards the being that saved her. 

Floating above in the air was a winged humanoid being with crimson butterfly scales emerging from its arms like wings. They could easily be mistaken for huge, Japanese-styled sleeves reminiscent of a miko. A huge yellow ribbon formed a knot at its chest, and the rest of its body was covered by a shrine maiden’s garb. Its figure was more feminine than masculine but Sumireko hesitated to call it female. Most notably, its face, framed by its neck-length hair, was a pitch-black void, yet Sumi could feel it staring towards her. It was nothing like the Renko in her head. 

The being simply floated there, continuing to examine Sumireko who in turn stared back in awe.

Then it dispersed into a blue mist that faded away. Sumireko was left alone in the street corner, still shaken by the bizarre experience she just had.

X-X-X

After gathering her thankfully unharmed luggage, Sumireko proceeded onwards. The hour was nearing its end and Sumireko remembered the dorm was near. Just a few steps further and, she found it. A four-story building owned by the renowned Kirijo group. Seeing it, Sumireko felt a great weight lifted from her.

“I just don’t understand, what were those things earlier?” She had wanted to comment on the building’s appearance, its architecture or even just that it was going to be her new home from then on, but the first words that came out was still that of the events earlier. “So, it seems things like that exist in the midnight hour here… I’m so happy to be alive right now…

Hm, wait a second. What’s with the lights?”

Unlike the neighboring buildings, the dorm’s lighting was clearly working.

“The night only got weirder and weirder...” After what happened earlier, this was nothing though. Sumireko pushed caution to the back of her head and walked towards the front door. For a moment, she remembered how she had almost been skewered by the blob earlier. She shivered. What if she found more of those blobs inside? She felt the cold door handle in her hand. She could feel this thirteenth hour was ending. If she wanted to find the truth, she would need to enter now. Sumireko took a deep breath to suppress her fear, and turned the knob around.

Sumireko pushed it open, and the interior revealed a very well-decorated waiting hall. The royal red carpet and golden candelabras on the wall evoked in the room a rich mood. The lights inside were definitely working. If not for that, Sumireko would be marvelling at how fancy everything looked and if this was really the right dorm for her.

Sumireko stepped inside. As if that had triggered a trap, a voice rang out. “Who’s there?!”

A girl suddenly appeared from the far end of the hall. Her breathing was ragged and her expression fearful. She was around Sumireko’s age at a glance, and in fact she wore the same uniform Sumireko would have to begin wearing from tomorrow onwards. The only element of the girl’s attire Sumireko felt was suspicious was some sort of holster strapped to the girl’s waist. She could’ve sworn she saw a gun there.

“Ah, I uh…”

“I said who’s there?!”

Sumireko’s head was groggy from the adrenaline and she honestly had no idea how to answer that. Just then, another voice sounded. “Stop, Sanae!”

At that moment, Sumireko felt it instinctively. The hour that came every night at midnight had come to pass. The slight green tinge that was ever present in the air around her had been lifted – and with it, Sumireko felt a heavy weight had been lifted from her. As if she could feel the change too, the girl in front of Sumireko relaxed her shoulders. From the staircase, Sumireko saw a second person descending in a more energetic manner. She too wore the same uniform as the first girl, although her skirt was significantly shorter than the other girl’s, to the point that Sumireko started to feel uncomfortable about it.

The second, taller girl walked towards the two of them and addressed Sumireko. “Didn’t think you’d arrive so late. I heard about you from the chairman.” Her curly blonde locks shook as she spoke. “My name is Kirisame Marisa, I’m a resident here.”

“Who’s she?” The green haired girl asked meekly. Her voice was no longer panicked, but there was a hint of alarm to her tone and eyes.

“She’s a transfer student. Was a last minute decision to assign her here.” As Marisa began to explain to the other girl, it finally truly sunk in for Sumireko that night. She was enrolled here to study at Gekkoukan High School. For a year, she would live in this dorm whose owner her aunt knew. Sumireko didn’t particularly want to, but she also didn’t object to it. She had no one to say goodbye to at her old school in Kyoto anyway. Incidentally the first day of school was the very next day and after the ordeal earlier Sumireko had no idea if she should still go.

The greenhead considered the older girl’s words carefully, then nodded. “...I’m sorry for startling you earlier. I’m Kochiya Sanae.”

With both of them having introduced themselves, the conversational flow returned to Sumireko. “Ah, me? I’m... Usami Sumireko. It’s uh, nice to meet you two.”

“Well then.” The older girl, Marisa, took it in stride. She exuded a positive, confident air as she turned to Sanae. “Now that we’re all acquainted, can you take Usami here up to her room? It’s pretty late right now, it’s better to get everyone to sleep properly.”

Amidst the many questions Sumireko had on her mind that she wanted to voice, some as urgent as why the greenhead had a gun on her, she readily agreed. More than anything she wanted a warm bed to sleep in. Sanae happily accepted as well, and they walked together to the fourth floor. Sumireko noted Marisa had stayed behind, possibly to lock up the door and windows.

“Be careful not to go to the second floor instead. No one lives there. Now, here we are.” They arrived at a door at the very end of a hallway on the third floor. “My room is right next door, so please come ask me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, about that…” Sumireko shifted her gaze between the door handle to her room and Sanae. “Nah, it’s nothing. I’ll ask later.”

“Aha…” For some reason Sanae had a nervous expression on. “Right then, goodnight Usami-san.”

“Good night.”

Sumireko stepped into the room. Inside was just as fancy as the outside. She had her own desk, her own bed and dresser, and more space than her old cramped room at her aunt’s place. This was now her room.

She looked to the suitcase at her side. Despite going through the same ordeals as her just now, it only had a bit of dirt on it. This suitcase that contained her most valuable notebooks.

No, she was too tired to even unpack. She clumsily placed her glasses on the table and threw her socks away somewhere, and she collapsed onto her new bed. The softness and warmth comforted her, and sleep came to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the first actual chapter. Sorry for the bait and switch of the protagonist. 
> 
> Song title that Sumireko listened in this chapter is Dream of Butterfly, the opening of Persona 1 in PSP.


	3. Ms. Lonely Hedgehog

X-X-X

### Chapter 2: Ms. lonely hedgehog

“Being dragged into a mystery sure feels less pleasant than I thought.”

Upon waking up, Sumireko began to reorganize the events of last night in her mind as she dressed herself in front of the mirror. First and foremost was of course the masked blob monster that almost killed her, and the faceless maiden who then saved her. They were both clearly supernatural and Sumireko could not come up with a scientific explanation for them. The pain in her abdomen that persisted still and the little cuts on her outfit both proved that they were real. Of course, such dangerous irregularities should demand her utmost attention but...

“No, how do I even begin to figure out that?”

Sumireko shook her head in exasperation. What happened to her yesterday was not something she could understand even after getting a night’s sleep. And she was in a new environment, her thoughts couldn’t concentrate even if her life depended on it. She decided to get dressed and head downstairs.

Quietly, Sumireko pushed open the door and glanced outside to the hallway. There was no one. Good, she thought, and slipped out. She took another look at her surroundings as she walked down. Even this hallway was clean and well-decorated like a rich man’s mansion. If she didn’t already know how much it actually cost, she would’ve wondered how her aunt was able to afford this.

Her nose picked up the scent of coffee just as she arrived downstairs. She looked to the left.

“Ah, you’re Usami, was it?” The blonde senior from yesterday was there, standing in the kitchen. She had an apron on, which in Sumireko’s opinion didn’t fit her manly aura very well. And despite her appearance, she was standing in front of a coffee boiler. There wasn’t a single other kitchen utensil in sight. The blonde girl pointed to the dining table. “Sit down, I’ll make you some coffee.”

Sumireko turned her gaze there and saw the other girl from last night. The one with green hair who greeted her less than politely with a pistol, she was now sitting at the table, smiling. “Good morning, Usami-san.”

“Ah, uh… morning.” Sumireko wasn’t sure what to say to these two, but she couldn’t come up with a reason to disobey them. She went to a seat opposite the green haired girl and sat.

“Ah, that’s-” The younger girl began to speak, but she was interrupted by the blonde.

“It’s alright, she’s already gone out anyway. Usami can sit there.”

“Um, someone else sits here?” It was an innocuous enough question, and Sumireko didn’t know what other conversational topic to raise.

“There’s one more resident aside from us three. She wakes up really early and leaves way, way before school actually opens for some reason.”

“So there’s only four of us?” No matter how she looked at it, it was an unreasonably large building for just the four of them.

“This building’ll get torn down soon. But don’t worry, it’ll be up long enough for us to graduate.” It was then that the coffee machine let out steam, and the blonde senior excitedly prepared cups. Coffee is a fine morning drink and all, but how about some actual food as well, Sumireko wanted to ask. She turned to Sanae who seemed to be able to read her mind and gave an apologetic nod.

“Sorry, today is Kirisame-senpai’s turn to um, cook. She’s a coffee maniac. And can’t make anything else.”

“Oi, I heard that, Sanae.” From the kitchen, Kirisame Marisa emerged and placed the cups on the table. The one handed to Sumireko was light purple. “Figured that color would fit you.”

Sumireko nodded once to be polite, and accepted her new cup. The three girls were now seated, and they drank. As her lips touched her own cup, Sumireko snuck glances at the other two. Kirisame Marisa and Kochiya Sanae. They both had calm, pleasant expressions on, and it was hard to believe they were involved in anything strange like last night. Sumireko doubted whether it really happened or if she was just too tired and imaginative. But no, she was sure they had something to hide.

“... About last night-”

“Ah! That reminds me, we should turn the TV on.” Marisa hurriedly grabbed the remote and aimed it at the television nearby. The news began to play out, which all three of them ignored.

“Last-”

“Kirisame-senpai! Why don’t you tell Usami-san here a bit about Gekkoukan?! Give her some advice to survive the first day!” This time it was Sanae who jumped in, sounding just a tad giddy.

“A good point, Sanae!” Marisa chimed up, standing up with coffee in hand, and began rambling about the teachers. Without a doubt, these two were hiding something. Sumireko sensed she wasn’t going to get anything out of them, but with how much they tried to avoid her questions just now, her doubts were reaffirmed. The events of last night after the Shadow definitely did happen.

“So like, there’s this guy called Ekoda who you really don’t want to piss off, and you don’t want to mention technology around him. He probably doesn’t know what a computer even is…”

“It’s alright, senpai. I’ll figure out what you two are hiding later.” Sumireko ignored them and continued sipping her coffee.

“Aha? Wh-what do we have to hide? Nothing, right?”

“Right! I don’t know what you mean, Usami-san, we’re not being suspicious…”

If these two thought their behavior wasn’t the most suspicious thing in this room, they’re going to be sorely disappointed. Very soon. Or at least eventually. Sumireko was going to figure out what they were up to even if her life depended on it. If nothing else though, she felt calmer than when she woke up.

“... As expected, there’s no point in morning coffee without actual breakfast.”

X-X-X

Sumireko quickly made some toast before she left - after last night and with her current fatigue, there was no way she would survive her first day without some food. This did delay her significantly, and she ended up accepting Sanae’s offer to go to school with her. The other girl didn’t have her gun holster with her to school, unsurprisingly.

“You’re from Kyoto right, Usami-san? How is it there?” Sanae opened up the conversation.

“I hate tourists. There’s too many of them there.” The first thing Sumireko blurted out was a complaint.

“Ah… I thought it would be more fun in a larger city like that…” Sanae looked disappointed hearing her reply, but Sumireko wasn’t sure whether that reaction was real or fabricated. “I’m from the countryside, and I moved here half a year ago. A larger city like Kyoto is nothing like the countryside, I imagine?”

“Oh yeah, the people are meaner, that’s for sure.” Without realizing it, Sumireko slipped into a rant. “Everyone talks abou howt people from Kyoto are the most refined in the country, but they’re all just a bunch of pretentious jerks in the end. They're so goddamn indirect and their accent is godawful.”

“I-I see…”

That ended the strings of question she received until the two finally boarded a train going to Tatsumi Port Island, the reclamated landmass south of Iwatodai where their school was located. The sight outside of the train was actually quite pleasant for such a short trip. It made her wish that the commute took longer, that maybe it could motivate her to write an extra two thousand words or so every morning. Alas, the trip was only ten minutes rather than fifty three minutes. What could she write within ten minutes in the morning?

Before long, the two were already staring at Gekkoukan High; as grand and elite as the pictures Sumireko saw. A clean, modern three-floor building with a slightly avant-garde architecture. The trees were well-maintained and the grass fields pleasant to look at. The sight made Sumireko wonder how her aunt was able to afford such an elite school at all.

As the two passed through the front gate, Sumireko noticed that the two of them attracted a lot of attention. Most of them were focused on Sanae, who was busy greeting everyone with a bright cheerful smile. Some, however, were focused on Sumireko and she couldn’t tell why. Sumireko acted as if she was impervious to the staring, but that was easier said than done. They brought back unpleasant memories. Sumireko grumbled. These gazes were not what she had to suffer back then in Kyoto, but it was almost as stress-inducing.

Once they entered the school building, Sumireko saw a lot of people huddled around the notice board, looking for their class assignments. Sumireko had no intention of jostling inside the sea of human bodies so early in the day. She instead looked around to familiarize herself, and saw a mall shop not too far away from the stairs. So she excused herself to Sanae before approaching it.

Minutes later, Sumireko was carrying a bag of bread. The toast earlier this morning didn’t fill her up. And she was a growing girl, without her nutrition she wasn’t going to grow and develop a nice figure...

Her thoughts were distracted when she saw Sanae waiting where Sumireko left her, but the green-haired girl was now occupied, talking to several other students. Sumireko had her doubts earlier, but Sanae must be very popular.

Well, Sumireko didn’t know how to navigate this school yet. She should call out to Sanae and approach her again, and while she was at it, maybe make some light talk with the other students. But the thought of doing that scared her and Sumireko immediately walked away. She headed for a path to the side of the building that led outside. There, she hurriedly searched for a quiet place to sit and eat, and after walking around a little, Sumireko found an empty seat in the outdoors area. Even from there she could hear the hectic chaos of the first day of a new semester, but at least she was alone.

Sumireko let out a sigh.

“I’m finally here… A new school.” She had other things to be concerned with thanks to last night, but it surprised even herself that she was feeling nervous now. Sumireko didn’t particularly want to be there, but she also doesn’t want things to end up the same way as her old school again… She was definitely happier to be here than to have remained. But again, it was intimidating, no, it was a pain to try to fit into a new environment. She pondered over what mindset to adopt until...

“Hm... what do you think?” Sumireko spoke out loud.

...

“You’re in a new environment, of course you make friends!”

“That’s not what I mean. And that’s kinda a pain though…” Sumireko’s voice sounded conflicted.

“You don’t want to be lonely again, do you?”

“Well….” Her voice trailed off.

“Come on now.”

It’s a little troublesome. She didn’t quite want to take the advice, so Sumireko decided to stop.

Sumireko sighed, finished her bread and returned to the school building. When she did so, she found out she had to attend the welcome speech for the beginning of the school year and she was already late. Panicking, she quickly ran to the auditorium.

Luckily for her, the auditorium hall was still bustling and the principal’s speech has yet to commence. Sumireko looked around until she saw a dull stern-looking man was the one taking attendance near where Sanae was. He didn’t look happy to see a late student, one who didn’t know what class she belonged to.

“Usami Sumireko…you’re the transfer student, right? Sit down here. You’re in class 2-D.”

If this was her homeroom teacher, Sumireko wanted to leave immediately. Instead she refrained and hesitantly followed his instruction. She was seated next to a boy she didn’t know, the other seat next to her empty. Sumireko didn’t know how to talk to a boy so she waited for the speech.

Then the opening speech by the principle bored her to death. Sumireko wasn’t sure what she was hoping for, but she certainly wasn’t so naive as to mindlessly believe in the endless possibilities of a new school life the principle kept droning on about. She almost fell asleep. It was then that a boy next to her started conversation. For a second she was hopeful even.

“Hey, aren’t you the one walking together with Sanae-chan this morning? Do you know her?”

Of course, it was about Sanae. Sumireko was being dragged out of her comfort zone to satisfy a boy’s hopeless romance. And wasn’t it just rude to talk to a girl about another girl? She was so annoyed she wanted to ignore him, but she had a feeling he would keep bothering her until she answered.

“We live in the same dorm, nothing more than that.” She faked her best polite expression but she felt a drop of her annoyance leak into her voice. “We’re not friends or anything-”

“Quiet down there!” The stern-looking homeroom teacher sneered at them, which shut them both up. The boy let out a grunt once he was sure that Ekoda wasn’t looking at him.

“Damn, are we really stuck with Ekoda of all people? But at least I get to be with Sanae-chan…”

Sumireko frowned at both of them.

X-X-X

After that, the students all returned to their homerooms. Sumireko, not wise to the location of her own, followed the people sitting in the same row as her, lagging behind slightly.

When Sumireko walked through the door, she was greeted with the sight of a busy class. Students sitting at or on their desks, talking to each other lightheartedly. They were second-years so they had a year to get to know each other already. Sumireko noticed Sanae was amongst them, talking to three girls who seemed very eager to be intimate with her. It surprised Sumireko that she would be in the same class as Sanae, or that she didn’t notice the girl’s green-haired head earlier during the assembly. That aside, those girls with Sanae exuded an air of snobbishness to them. Sumireko wondered why someone like Sanae would associate herself with them.

There were other students too, like the boyish-looking girl with short orange hair, wearing accessories that reminded her of a tiger’s stripes. A flighty girl, currently talking with someone looking more reserved than her, though the other girl seemed to barely tolerate her conversation partner’s presence. There was a foreign exchange student as well, his facial features suggested that he was of European descent.

Sumireko felt overwhelmed by the colorful personalities in the class. She looked to a seat near the window at the back and sat there. Luckily for her, no one initiated conversation as she walked past. Her appearance didn’t attract a lot of attention in comparison when she’s not with Sanae.

A moment after, a familiar-looking teacher walked in and commanded everyone to sit down. Just as the mood was becoming friendly, he came in to ruin it.

“My name is Ekoda. I am not your actual homeroom teacher. Miss Okazaki will be absent for the time being. I’ll be substituting for her until she returns.” Everything about the man was painfully dull as well. It was however, a pleasure to hear he was only a substitute. Whoever her actual homeroom teacher will be, Sumireko had no doubt the person can’t be as unpleasant as this guy. “I need to return to handle my own class’s homeroom session, so we will quickly have everyone introduce themselves.. We’ll start from the first name on the attendance list then.”

Sumireko was unfortunate. Her last initial meant her turn was coming soon. If only their names were listed in English alphabetical order instead! She had to come up with a good, impactful self-introduction. She didn’t even know what to say. Something interesting about herself? She didn’t have anything like that. She knew perfectly well how important these introductions were to making a good impression on her classmates. Indeed, she learned it the hard way. Everyone else in here likely knew each other so they didn’t have to try as hard. Sumireko herself was new however so she didn’t have that luxury.

Once the girl in front of her finished and sat down, it was suddenly her turn and with her thought processes abruptly cut off, Sumireko hastily stood up. In response, she heard Ekoda mutter under his breath something along the lines of ‘it’s the late girl…’. Already she heavily disliked this particular teacher. Where did she hear about him before? It was then that she faintly remembered Marisa’s words earlier this morning.

“I… I am Usami Sumireko. I came here from Kyoto. I’m a new student here. I like reading, and unlike Mr. Ekoda over there I know what a computer is.”

Silence.

No, Sumireko swore she could hear Ekoda’s vein pop.

It occurred to her that may not have been the best thing to say. No, she wanted to annoy the substitute teacher a bit.

“Um… that is all.” She timidly sat down.

Immediately the class erupted into heavy laughter. Even Sanae off in the distance was doing her hardest to not laugh herself.

“Wh-what did you just say, you… transfer student…?!” Sumireko dared not look up from her desk, but she heard pure venom dripping from Ekoda’s voice. To put it colloquially, she was ‘on his shit list, effective immediately’. No, he didn’t quite seem like the type of teacher to say that. But Sumireko was definitely in it now.

She snuck a glance at the class, and everyone seemed a lot more lighthearted now. She met eyes with Sanae, who smiled back. She wasn’t sure whether to return it.

X-X-X

Ekoda left not long after to attend to his own class, and he was followed by the Mathematics teacher, Ms. Miyahara. Sumireko barely was able to follow her class. As excited as the teacher was, she seemed to be more interested in playing with the numbers rather than actually teaching. The lunch break bell became her salvation, and she rushed out from class the moment it rang. She very much wanted spend this break time alone, so it was best to quickly eat and then leave the cafeteria. If Gekkoukan was like any other school, the cafeteria was likely to become packed very quickly. Sumireko had to hurry before that happens.

When she arrived though, she was already panting heavily. “This is ridiculous. I’m not even trying to outrun some monster and I’m still exhausted...”

“Usami-san!” Just as Sumireko managed to catch her breath however, Sanae caught up to her from behind without breaking a sweat. Speaking of monsters and weird things, Sumireko thought. “Why did you run out of class like that? I wanted to talk to you.”

“I, well… was hungry?” Sumireko voiced the first thing on her mind.

“But still, you could’ve waited for me. And earlier this morning too, you just disappeared and left me behind.” As the two talked, students were already flowing into the cafeteria. Sumireko’s ‘plan’ was ruined.

“I was hungry back then as well.” Sumireko practically repeated the earlier answer, so Sanae didn’t seem to be fully convinced.

“Come on, if you keep to yourself on your first day of school, it’d be hard for you to make friends later on…” Sanae pouted, but she then seemed to have an idea. “Oh, how about you sit with us?”

“W-wait there-” Sumireko thought to resist, but seeing how excited Sanae was to introduce her to her friends, Sumireko ended up relenting as Sanae grabbed her wrist and dragged her to another table nearby. Sitting there were four girls that seemed to be close to Sanae. Three of them were the girls Sanae talked with earlier today. They looked at Sanae warmly, and then questioningly when they saw Sumireko accompanying her. Sumireko recognized them all as girls from her class.

It occured to Sumireko that maybe Sanae was a very popular girl.

“This is Usami-san. She just transferred in so she’s not familiar with our school yet. She lives in the same dorm as me, so I’m guiding her around.” Sanae gestured to Sumireko, who felt compelled to respond somehow. She settled on a light nod to the four, an inoffensive gesture if not a little boyish. Upon hearing that they were dorm mates, Sumireko thought some of the girls’ eyes glinted in a nasty way. “And these, Usami-san, are the people I lunch with regularly. And Aya-chan! I haven’t seen you since spring break.”

“That’s not so long ago, Sanae-chan.” One of the four on the table was a girl with short black hair, and a bright, jumpy disposition. “I’m Aya.”

“She also eats with us sometimes. She’s a bit of a strange girl…” Sanae continued on, ignoring the offended ‘hey!’ coming from the black-haired girl. “And these other three are...”

Sumireko found it hard for her to focus as the other three girls introduced themselves in their own style. They seemed to be a colorful cast from what Sumireko managed to get, although somewhat typical of the setting. She wasn’t sure on what to say and what to do, and simply nodded along as the introduction continued. They didn’t seem to care much about her in any way, and Sumireko doubted that if it’s not for Sanae they wouldn’t even consider talking to her in the first place.

The group conversation quickly turned towards other topics Sumireko had no particular interest in. Makeup, friends, quarrels, things that as an outsider Sumireko didn’t know about. She looked to Sanae, hoping to convey with her facial expression whether she could leave or not. When they made eye contact, Sanae instead smiled harder and more encouragingly.

“Well then, Usami-san.” Sanae eventually turned the conversation to Sumireko, unexpectedly. “You should tell us a bit about yourself.”

“You are the new student after all, it’s your obligation to make yourself known.”

“Yeah! You said you’re from Kyoto. How is it like living over there? Is it like, full of old people?”

“Who taught you to piss off Ekoda anyway? That was great, back there in class.”

Sanae’s suggestion was met with a wave of approval from the other four. Suddenly the group’s attention was focused directly on Sumireko.

“...Well...” Sumireko squirmed in her seat, struggling to come up with something to say. She decided on the easiest question. “Kirisame-senpai told me about Ekoda, and I-”

“Kirisame-senpai?! You know her?”

“We uh… live in the same dorm, yes.” That incited a wave of impressed ‘ooh’s, even though the truth was just that. They were dormmates, and that’s it. They talked about it with each other for awhile before continuing with the next question.

So, back in Kyoto, do you have any friends?”

“I...uhh…don’t really...” The question made Sumireko pause. The other girls continued to look at Sumireko with curiosity. Something made Sumireko think that if she didn’t answer this properly, she would ruin her chance of socializing with them. A negative answer was not allowed here. “I have a… very close friend. She’s a foreigner living in Kyoto. I spend lots of time with her everyday.”

The words flowed better once it actually came out of Sumireko. It prompted more questions from the other girls however, asking about how that friend was like as well as whether Sumireko was fluent in English. She had to endure these questions until the end of the lunch break, at which point she felt quite miserable. Sumireko stood up the moment the bell sounded and gave her an out, and bowed at the other girls before rushing out. She didn’t want to deal with them ever again, for the time being.

X-X-X

When class finally ended for the day, Sumireko wanted to go home. But when Sanae approached her desk, Sumireko knew her ordeal wasn’t quite over yet. 

“What is it now?”

“Kirisame-senpai wants to treat us to some snacks. Would you like to go, Usami-san?” Unlike before, Sanae didn’t have a bright smile on her face anymore. Instead it was a look of slight guilt.

“Um, alright.” As long as she didn’t have to stay at school any longer, Sumireko wouldn’t object.

The two of them went to an establishment called Chagall Cafe at the nearby Paulownia Mall, and met up with Marisa there. According to Sanae, it was an often visited establishment for Gekkoukan students and as a high school girl, Sumireko was guaranteed to regular the place. Sumireko really wanted to object to that. She had little to no real reason to go outside unless it’s for class, but she kept it to herself. Along the way, Sanae apologized about earlier.

“No seriously, it’s fine, you can stop apologizing already...” Sumireko wasn’t sure about how to react, but she did feel some satisfaction from Sanae’s apology.

“No, no, it’s really my fault. I should’ve made sure to prevent our classmates from barraging you with questions like that…”

Sumireko was wondering why once the last school bell rang, none of her classmates came to her to follow up with more questions, and now she was quite sure Sanae had something to do with it. Sumireko was thankful for it, though she hoped that this didn’t mean she would be fully ignored by them from now on. While she couldn’t stand them for now, the attention they gave actually felt nice in hindsight.

Marisa interrupted them once the three of them were seated and the snacks were served. “Anyway, not everyone is here, but treat this as your official welcome party, Usami!”

What Marisa ordered for them was… more coffee. But also actual food this time. Several slices of cake was served, along with several other assortments of pastries. At the very least it was a proper meal. “And don’t you tell me you’re on a diet!”

“Ah, of course I wouldn’t… Then, thank you for treating us, senpai.” She briefly wondered if it was poisoned, but threw that doubt away. Sumireko reached out for a slice of cake, and dug some up with a spoon. The moment she took the first bite however, Marisa grinned.

“Now, Usami. You took the cake. Now you can’t say I didn’t treat you, right? You already took a bite so you can’t just put the plate down and leave and say you didn’t get treated to anything. Riiiight? Which means, as a junior, now you have to listen to me. Am I right?”

Sumireko felt Marisa’s snake-like arms slowly crawl around her neck. The poison wasn’t in the food but instead the predator. Sumireko had no choice but to nod along to the blonde beast’s provocation, as the latter’s face twisted into a maniacal grin and drew closer.

“Then, why don’t you start by telling me every last bit of yourse-”

“Stop it, senpai!” Sanae smacked the older girl on the head lightly, but she looked genuinely worried. “Can you save it for later? Usami-san had been hearing those questions all day long at this point.”

“Oh alright.” Marisa readjusted her neck and then dived into the cake herself. She looked for a piece with a cherry on top, but saw such a slice on top of Sanae’s plate. “Sanae, you…”

“Well, I do dare say it’s about time we properly introduce ourselves, all of us.” Sanae cut through Marisa before she could say more. “You feel a little worried, right Usami-san? You’ve been spending the whole day with us two so far yet we haven’t properly introduced ourselves yet.”

Again. Sumireko slowly nodded. The atmosphere here had a lot less pressure than earlier, but she was still unsure on what she should do for now.

“You can ignore senpai over there for now. I’m Kochiya Sanae. You’re already aware but I’m a second-year just like you and I’m also in the Archery club. You can drop by whenever you want if you’re interested. I moved in just half a semester ago, so I understand what you’re going through.” Sanae offered Sumireko a handshake, which she hesitantly accepted. Her friendliness so far at least felt well-intentioned. Sumireko’s tension lessened a little.

“Well, you know all that already as well. But anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Usami-san. I hope we get along. Oh, I think I’ve said that before too...” No, Sanae was definitely too polite for Sumireko’s tastes.

Then it was the blonde senpai’s turn.

“Ah, well, I’m Marisa. That’s Kirisame-senpai to you. I’m a third-year which means I’m above you two, ahaha.” Marisa patted Sumireko on the back a little violently. “You need to be less stiff, Usami. Look at you. You’re almost as bad as Sanae when she first came here you know. She was like all-”

“Senpai!”

“Alright, alright. Well uh, I don’t know what’s wrong with you exactly, but since you’re already here in Gekkoukan, you should open up a bit more, I think?” Like Sanae, she offered Sumireko a handshake. Sumireko looked Marisa in the eye. There was a mischievous glow that filled her eyes, like those of a prankster. At the same time, a certain warmth emanated from it. Marisa was someone who behind the rough and flirtatious personality, cared. Or so she seemed. Or so they both seemed, Marisa and Sanae. No matter how Sumireko looked at them they were good people.

And that threw her off.

Yesterday she saw them both being able to walk around at midnight, during ‘that’ time. And that they were hiding it from Sumireko for some reason. No, it was also too much of a coincidence that the first two people she met here happened to be able to stay awake as well, even though in her entire life Sumireko had never met someone else like before. And now she was sharing a dorm with two such people. Maybe this other absent fourth person was also similarly like them. But she couldn’t figure out a thing. Why was she there? Why were they there? Why were they being nice to her like this?

“Usami-san?”

“Ah.” Sumireko shook her head. It wasn’t time for her to space out, she had to focus and not let her guard down. Promptly, she accepted the handshake. “Um, are you two Americans? With this whole handshaking thing going on.”

“Pfft! Ahaha! So you can joke around after all!” For whatever reason, the two took her comment very positively. Marisa let go. “Now, it’s your turn, isn’t it?”

“Hm? For what?” She gave them a confused look.

“Introductions, Usami-san. I know you gave one earlier in class but that was well, a little problematic…” Sanae made sure to stress that last word. “A more genuine one if you would, please. We both want to get to know you.”

How troublesome, Sumireko thought. She didn’t expect to have to come up with yet another introduction. The one in class earlier was troublesome enough as is, and after what happened at lunchtime, she wasn’t in the mood to talk more about herself. However unlike earlier Sumireko didn’t feel the same pressure this time.

“Kirisame-senpai was being mean to you earlier but she just wanted to know more about you as well. It’s the same with our classmates, really. I could tell you were uncomfortable with a lot of people earlier, so I hope you’ll at least open up if it’s just the three of us.”

“Um, well I’m just me. Usami...” Sumireko thought to herself as she began to speak. That entire day, she’s been nothing less than passive. Outside of her one comment that managed to piss off Ekoda, she practically spent the whole day nodding and quietly going along with others otherwise. There was a lot she wanted to say, so many comments she could’ve made. Was that really what she wanted? Was she willing to keep up this meek act for the duration of her stay here in Gekkoukan?

“No! I’m Usami Sumireko!” She stood up, almost knocking her cup over and startling the other two. “I’m Usami Sumireko, I’m a female high schooler and I’m difficult to handle and I’m mystical even though I don’t even know what that means and I prefer coffee over tea! I came from Kyoto and my hobbies are reading and studying the occult!”

For a moment, the other two were stunned. “Erm…”

But Sumireko couldn’t stop now. She wouldn’t stop.

“You can even say I’m a high school girl who’s chosen books over luxuries! I’ve read everything from the Greek classics to trashy light novels that’s releasing right now! My favorite genre is mysteries and my favorite book is A Murder is Announced! On another note, I’m also a fan of Lovecraft and since you two seem to be utterly uneducated on both mysteries and the occult, so I shall gladly introduce either should you two be interested. Ask anytime!”

It was then that Sumireko realized she had the attention of the entire shop, which luckily wasn’t a lot. It was just after school in the afternoon so the number of customers were minimal, almost empty. She turned her gaze to Sanae and then Marisa. Astonished as they were, they also flashed her approving smiles.

“Hah.. Well, that’s the way it should be. Nice to meet you, Usami.”

“Aha.. I don’t quite understand myself, but nice to meet you, Usami-san!”

As Sumireko sat down, she decided to let her guard down just a little. She wanted to enjoy this welcome party of hers.

X-X-X

When they were done, Sumireko was absolutely full. It wouldn’t surprise her if she found out her weight went up a lot the next time she measured herself, but at least she’s not the one paying. After her second ‘introduction’ of the day, the three kept to very light, fun topics. Even if Marisa and Sanae were genuinely interested in her, they were also equally silent on the matter of last night. At least for the day it would be pointless to ask them about that.

With Marisa leaning on both of their shoulders, the three of them returned to the dorm. Sumireko knew the way but it evoked a strange feeling in Sumireko to walk back there. The last time she went down these streets, she was attacked by a strange-looking monster. The answer to that mystery was leaning on her shoulder, about to throw up.

“Why did I eat so much...”

“Deep breath, deep breaths. Follow my instruction, senpai.” Said the green-haired girl adjacent to them.

Sumireko sighed. She knew she was in a dire situation but she couldn’t find the guts to interrupt these people and their nonsense. When they finally arrived, Sumireko quickly excused herself from the two and went up to her room. She closed the door, locked it, leaned against it and then let her body slide down to the floor. Finally she was alone again. The quietness returned to her.

She let out the sigh she bottled up.

She raised her hand and waved her fingers around in the air. It was the sort of gesture one might be prone to when surrounded by no one else.

“... I want to write.” She muttered to herself and stood up.

X-X-X

Behind the locked door of her room, Sumireko’s hands continued to move as she sat in front of her desk. Her suppressed imagination that she hid from everyone was all let out now, spilling all over the white screen she stared at. Sumireko’s pace followed her feelings and increased heartbeat. She was sweating, and her face was red. Her fingers continued to play around, releasing the emotions that she kept solely for her beloved onto the keyboard.

“Ahh… Merry...”

Sumireko was panting, moaning Maribel’s name over and over again. Leaning on her chair, it was as if she had exerted herself doing intense exercise. The laptop before her was the only source of light in her room after she made sure to turn the lights off for her nightly activity. She had been doing it non-stop since the moment she returned home, and not a fragment of her meek, quiet self remained to be seen. Now she was approaching her limit.

“Sharing this time with you always felt special, no matter how many times we do it, Merry...”

But Sumireko was not down and out yet. After a short break, she returned her upright posture, and her fingers continued with their dance once more. Muttering the name of one girl over and over, more and more of Sumireko spilled words onto the screen before her. Even if she wasn’t here, even if she wasn’t real for anyone other than her, Sumireko treated this nightly writing session with Maribel as a sacred moment, a moment of intimacy where the two of them became one. The time where she poured all of her into the one she loved.

And with one last press of button, she reached her climax for the night.

Three thousands, two hundred, and sixty seven words had been typed by Sumireko in this session. Three thousands two hundred and sixty seven of the adventures of a girl named Renko Usami, and the girl that she loved, Maribel Hearn. Nothing much happened in the story so far, but it was not an issue Sumireko was concerned with now. Even if it was just three thousand words of meaningless interaction, it was still three thousand words of her own feelings conveyed into tangible words.

A trip on a train. Two hours and fifty-three minutes of personal musing. A lovely reunion on a hospital. A shared hug, and a date in a restaurant. Sumireko was aware of just how much those things detracted from the core plot of her story – of two girls investigating a city where rumors became real, yet she did nothing to stop herself from writing that much fluff. The time the two characters spent together was more important for her than any plot.

Yet, as she reread what had she written, the blissful expression on Sumireko’s face turned sour.

“...So those things leaked here too...”

Without her even realizing it as she wrote, Sumireko poured more feelings than she intended. Anxiety. Distrust. Fear. The events of last night… Sanae and Marisa’s secrecy, those ended up being worries that continuously hound her mind, even after spending time together earlier. She hoped to escape those thoughts here, yet those thoughts ended up poisoning the sanctity of her writing. She could revise it now, but she didn’t have the motivation to deal with it.

She closed her laptop in irritation before resting her head on the desk. The only image in her head was that of Renko and Maribel holding hands, bringing back her smile.

“Maybe it’s time for us to kiss...? Ah, that might be a bad idea. Maribel’s first kiss would be best served for a more grandiose moment, maybe after Renko has her first close encounter with JOKER. Hm… for now, the two can just pat each others’ head lovingly. Perfect.”

“Hey, you look unlike yourself. Did something happen?” Sumireko imagined hearing footsteps coming from behind. She knew who this person was, though she didn’t feel like turning around to face the newcomer.

“Too much had happened lately, I don’t know what I should do anymore...”

“At least you didn’t do anything you’d regret, right Sumireko?” With a playful grin, Sumireko felt Usami Renko took a seat on the desk right next to where Sumireko’s head rested. From what Sumireko would see, Renko was a young college-age girl, with brown hair tied to her left and a rather conspicuous black boater hat. At a glance, she was a tomboy, with an upbeat but ever so slightly mischievous expression. At least to Sumireko, that was what she saw. “You know what they say. Better to do something once and regret it than never doing it and wondering what could’ve happened.”

“You’re not the one in my situation, Renko. What do you even know...”

Renko merely laughed at those words, and the exasperated Sumi couldn’t help but to feel uplifted too. In a time like this, the presence of a reliable older sister-like figure was something Sumireko wanted, so she always appreciated all the times Renko decided to visit her.

“Yesterday was so scary. I don’t know what was even happening, and why those two could stay up at that time. What even is that blob anyway? What am I getting myself into, Renko?”

“And I guess, you’re also wary about those two friends of yours, right?”

“They’re not-... Maybe I could call them friends. I don’t know what to feel about them yet, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. They’re keeping me in the dark about something big, that alone I’m very sure of.”

“Your concern is understandable. It’s supposed to be a time only we knew of, a world reserved only for us three. Yet these people intruded in on it. I suppose that you’re not in a position to dig for information from the two?”

“Renko...stop saying that I could do things like you do.” Like she was talking to an old friend, Sumireko’s tone of voice became jokingly cordial, warm and friendly.

“You could start now. You have to start from somewhere, right?” Sumireko felt a hand pet her head and play with her slightly fluffy hair. “Just calm down. Approach this objectively, don’t jump to conclusions. You can reach out to the truth if you can see things clearly without being influenced by your emotions.”

“I guess you’re right...” Feeling somewhat better about herself, Sumireko rose up from her desk so she could see Renko directly.

“That aside… Do you think I did good today, Renko?” Sumireko changed the topic now that her mood has improved. “ I’m still feeling a bit ashamed about it, but I spoke out loud about myself proudly in front of Sanae and Marisa! I also called out that old sourpuss of a teacher! You should have seen how the class see me after that, Renko. And in school, people now are curious about me rather than just ignoring me all day!”

The smile Renko gave her as she listened to Sumireko’s excitement was subdued, just a little. “Are you sure that you’re not being made fun of again?”

“No, I’m one hundred percent sure that it’s not that this time!” Sumireko stood up. “They’re curious about me, Renko. I’m sure that it’s different this time. I did say it to you a while ago that I’ll start anew here, right? At the end of this year, I’ll be an idol of this school for sure!”

“Yeah… yeah, that’s right.” Seeing Sumireko’s outburst of energy must’ve made the other girl feel proud, as Sumireko could clearly hear it in her jovial, unrestrained laughter. “Keep on dreaming, Sumireko.”

“Come on, let me have this moment!”

“I’m just encouraging you! Your dream will surely become your reality one day.”

“You’re right.” Tears started to form in Sumireko’s eyes even as she continued to smile. “Thank you for coming again today, Renko.”

And then it was quiet.

Inside of the locked dark room, only Sumireko stood, staring at no one, thinking about nothing important. Even if Renko in the end was just her own voice, imagining someone reliable like her listening to her woes was comforting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, this chapter ends up longer than intended. Since it's decided that Sumireko will be in a different class than P3 Protag's, we thought of expanding on that a bit more here.
> 
> Things are slow now, but the pace will definitely pick up soonish!


	4. Secret Keepers

X-X-X

### Chapter 3: Secret Keepers

Sumireko didn’t sleep a whole lot that night. She was distracted by the sites she regularly browsed until she saw just how late it was. Panicking, she quickly finished her business, jumped into bed and tried to fall asleep.

But precisely because she was panicked, her heart beat very fast and she remained wide awake. Sumireko managed to somehow fall asleep but she couldn’t have slept for more than a few hours before the alarm clock’s siren woke her and she had to get up, grumbling.

“I wonder if it got any replies yet.” After undressing herself, she remembered and opened her laptop again. She had left a tab open since last night and upon refreshing it, she saw there were no responses. She had written anonymously about her arrival at Iwatodai and the strange events happening since, in the form of a thread posted on an online forum. It was an old thread Sumireko used to record her (lacklustre) discoveries of the midnight hour since way back but the thread was often ignored entirely, and it read more like a personal observation diary than anything else (once she ignored the mean comments calling her delusional at first anyway, nowadays no one replies). She sighed and closed her laptop.

Sumireko got dressed and quickly went downstairs. There, only Sanae was in the kitchen. Marisa must’ve already left. The green-haired girl noticed Sumireko. “Usami-san! Good morning.”

Truth be told, Sumireko would rather it be the blonde senior instead. Sanae was a girl from the same year and so much more polite, Sumireko wasn’t entirely sure how to deal with her. “Ah, uh, morning.”

“It’s a little simple for a meal, but I heated some soup from last night as well as grilled fish. It’s all on the table. Feel free.”

“Don’t mind if I do then.” Sumireko sat down and dug in. To her surprise, the taste was acceptable. No, it was surprisingly decent.

Seeing Sumireko’s obvious expression of enjoyment, Sanae smiled.

It was by all means a very peaceful breakfast.

But Sumireko was still suspicious. Her mind was fresh off having typed an impromptu report of everything so far. Having rethought through the chain of events she’s witnessed, Sumireko was more resolute than ever that Sanae and Marisa were hiding something from her. If only her imagination was strong enough, she would be able to see Renko even when other people are around. She’d be able to garner some advice off Renko. But Sumireko was alone and she didn’t know how to navigate the conversation to that direction successfully. Perhaps it was better to leave the subject off…?

“Uh, I’m going to class then. Thanks for the meal.” She wanted to avoid contact with the girl further so she quickly wrapped up.

“Ah, please hold on then. I’ll go with you.” Sanae undid her apron and she took began to pack up.

“No, no, you don’t have to really.”

“I insist, Usami-san.” Sanae’s smile as she said so was radiant, positively glowing. Sumireko, impure as she was, could not resist looking away.

In the end Sumireko couldn’t reject her. They were walking together to Gekkoukan before she realized it. Again. Sumireko recalled how yesterday Sanae got attention wherever she went. If they were walking together then they’d become the center of attention. Again. Sumireko had to avoid that at all costs. Sumireko had to chase her away somehow.

But at the same time, she couldn’t afford to make Sanae dislike her. Suspicious circumstances aside, she was the only dorm mate Sumireko had who’s not a senior. It would be awkward if they didn’t get along when they practically lived together. At least, Sumireko wouldn’t be able to handle it. At the bare minimum, they have to maintain amiable relations, enough to casually talk. They had to become friends.

She remembered Renko’s words from last night. Friends. Sanae certainly wasn’t that for Sumireko. For some reason Renko was very eager to push her towards making some friends. Yesterday before the morning assembly, and then again before she slept. If she was so insistent on making friends, why doesn’t she just do it for her instead? Sumireko barely knew how to talk to others at all.

“Usami-san?” Sanae turned her head towards Sumireko. She must’ve asked a question earlier, but Sumireko wasn’t paying attention at all. And now the mood between them was about to turn awkward. Of course, that would be an ideal way to make Sanae stop. But a part of her didn’t want that either. Sumireko wondered, what would Renko say in this situation…

“Ah, ahaha, sorry about that. I um, wasn’t listening!” In her loudest, most energetic voice that almost resembled Marisa, Sumireko replied back. “I-I was a little occupied thinking of something else. Didn’t mean to do that, sorry.”

Inside, she groaned to herself. Her voice was way too out of character for her just now, and she even stuttered. That was in no way a natural-sounding reply. They had stopped in their tracks. Sumireko slowly turned to meet Sanae’s gaze.

“Despite how you look, you space out pretty often, Usami-san… Well that can’t be helped.” Sanae looked a little doubtful at first, but accepted the response happily. Good, imitating Renko succeeded after all. “As I was saying…”

They continued their conversation all the way until school, Sumireko imitating what she thought Renko would say the entire time. She wasn’t flawless, but Sanae seemed mostly happy with her so she must be doing something right. At least the other side wouldn’t think she was weird, which was good.

“Class’s about to start, so we should talk more later. Let’s go somewhere after school, Usami-san!”

Sumireko didn’t anticipate that it would go so well Sanae would want to talk to her even more instead of leaving her alone however.

X-X-X

“Hey, do you guys uh, wanna hang out after school?”

“..Eh?”

“S-sorry, never mind that.”

She returned to her seat, sighing in defeat. Her attempts to emulate Renko’s upbeat attitude failed to produce favorable results once she began interacting with people other than Sanae. While maybe it was just because she approached them while they’re in the middle of a conversation, Sumireko was sure that it’s just that her upbeat approach was faulty.

And throughout all of her attempts, Sanae watched over her with a suspicious smile, even while she herself was in the middle of conversation with her three girls.

“Hm? Is there anything wrong, Usami-san?” Sanae seemed to notice that Sumireko was looking back at her now, and had walked over to the latter’s desk.

“Err, it’s nothing. Maybe this making friends thing isn’t working all that well to me.”

Though, it’s not that Sumireko really was desperate to make friends this time. It would be neat if she’s not as much as a recluse as before, but it’s not something necessary. She preferred being left alone anyway usually. If her attempts failed, she could just be content with how things should be for herself.

Still though, the failure did disappoint Sumireko, even if only by a little. Looking at the clock, there was still a decent amount of time before the next class would start. Sumireko could sneak in a little alone time, she thought. So she decided to go outside, perhaps to the rooftop. A little walk would help ease herself.

The school’s hallways were clean and bright, as expected of an elite school. Sumireko couldn’t spot a single speck of dust as she walked along. When she spotted the stairway leading upwards, she quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching her. Then she rushed to it and ran up the stairs, but only so fast as to not make loud footsteps. She arrived at a small iron door. A little glance told her that someone broke the lock so it was certainly open. For such an elite school to have an unmaintained door lock like this, Sumireko guessed that someone must’ve been breaking its locks so often the school didn’t bother to replace it anymore.

So when she pushed weakly against the door, she only half-expected someone to be there.

Once a small gap was made, Sumireko peered through it and saw a young woman leaning against the rails. A young woman with black flowing hair, and a pale but healthy complexion, not enough to look like a ghost.

Her back faced Sumireko, her face couldn’t be seen. Yet, Sumireko could tell right away she was older. She emitted a certain intimidating aura, like that of a predator with a lion’s mane, and her vibe was much too mature to be a high school student. Suddenly Sumireko felt she couldn’t take a step further.

Sumireko closed the door instead.

“Damn it, why am I so scared?” She cursed herself. There was absolutely no way someone could be so intimidating, she must only be imagining it. Was she going to let that stop her from relaxing on the roof? That was most likely just some senior, not a ghost or a monster.

The answer to that was yes. Sumireko weakly made her way down the stairs in response. She wondered if perhaps the toilet stalls were a decent place to relax.

“Usami-san, there you are!” At the bottom of the stairs, Sumireko bumped into Sanae again. “I was just looking for you. Next period’s about to start. That was a little rude of you, to walk away like that after I tried to talk to you.”

“Oh, it’s just you…” Sumireko had thought for a second that the black haired girl from upstairs had warped down here. Instead it was Sanae, again. Throughout the day so far Sanae was nearby wherever Sumireko went. It was very obvious there was some hidden agenda going on here, and even yesterday at their welcome ‘party’, that Sumireko couldn’t discern. It was just starting to get on her nerves and made her blurt out her true thoughts. “What do you want exactly?”

“Um, well, I just said it but, class is about to start.” Sanae scratched her head in confusion. She didn’t seem to understand, or chose not to interpret the question otherwise.

Sumireko didn’t intend to ask that way, but she waited expectantly. Sanae kept up her questioning look. “Are you alright, Usami-san…?”

“Alright then, let’s go.” In the end, she relented first. Sanae wasn’t close to cracking at all, there was no point in playing the waiting game with her.

“And um, well.” Sanae stopped her again just before Sumireko walked away.

“...What is it?” She had given up already, but now Sumireko hoped maybe Sanae was about to spill everything.

Sanae held out her hand. “You can be my friend instead. We live in the same dorm, so isn’t it quite convenient for you?”

It was a proposal out of the blue. Sumireko had her expectations dashed. “O-Oh?”

“You were trying to befriend those girls earlier, weren’t you? Even though you must find it hard to talk to strangers. We already know each other, so why not me instead?”

To Sumireko, Sanae was a completely nice girl, even if she clearly kept her in the dark about something big. Though, the extent of her knowledge regarding this former country bumpkin was limited to that. Sumireko was wary that this niceness might’ve just been a facade or that she was secretly making fun of her behind her back. Or worse, she was using her for some sort of purpose, something related to the things she and Marisa kept as a secret from her.

“Hmph, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sumireko decided to feign ignorance.

“I saw you. You awkwardly approached Rio and Yuko and asked them to hang out after school, but then you ran away from them. I saw it very clearly.” Sanae drew closer to Sumireko, and now her face was uncomfortably close. “I have somewhere I want to go after school. Well, you may not feel comfortable about it yet but, why not come with me?”

Sumireko was frankly very uncomfortable. But this was also a chance to find out something. Possibly. She wasn’t entirely sure where the other girl was heading to, metaphorically speaking. “...Alright, sure.”

X-X-X

Classes went by without much happening. Other students didn’t seem to actively avoid Sumireko, though they interacted with her a lot less than yesterday. The three girls with Sanae didn’t spare her a glance. P.E. today was a lot more tiresome than Sumireko expected as well, and she had to feign sickness to avoid the further exertion. Instead she spent lunchtime in class reading. The earlier event made it awkward for her to try to reach out to other people, but she was at least looking forward to spending time with Sanae, as dubious her motives may be.

She was supposed to meet up with Ekoda after school to finalize some administrative issues left about her transfer, but she decided to ignore it for now. He’s not even her homeroom teacher anyway. Hiding that fact, Sumireko approached Sanae.

“Do you have anywhere in mind?” Sumireko asked. For Sumireko herself, she would prefer to just go home to spend more time with Merry, but this was a chance for her to find an opening. Even if that meant being dragged around by Sanae, Sumireko would be fine just for that chance.

“How about the Paulownia Mall? It’s a great place to hang out! Or maybe you might like watching movies more?”

“Er, the mall, if you will.” The thought of going with someone to watch crappy formulaic foreign blockbusters was something Sumireko immediately rejected. Mainly since she feared she would ended up actually enjoying it. It’d make Sumireko leave her guard down and right now the intent was to make the other side do so, not her. The mall in comparison wouldn’t be as bad. As long as Sanae didn’t take her to the karaoke there, Sumireko would probably be fine. Reaching an agreement, Sanae pulled Sumireko’s hand and dragged her out of the school.

The mall was not far from Gekkoukan, and the two went there on foot. Though rather than doing anything interesting, they instead spent their time after their arrival sitting near the fountain at the center of the mall. It confused Sumireko at first, but then Sanae attempted to start a conversation with her several times. She was more awkward and dull than Sumireko expected from a popular girl.

“Usami-san, what kind of music do you like?”

“Hm? Oh, Classical, mostly.”

Sanae picked up quite fast that Sumireko was looking at the music store not far away. In response, Sumireko gave her a generic answer. In reality, Sumireko thought classical music was boring, but saying that she liked it sounded so refined and…artsy. She could imagine Renko drinking tea on an afternoon day with a rendition of such music playing from the nearby radio. Sumireko herself preferred pop and electronic music, but there was no way she could reveal that. Admitting that she liked the same music as the sheep-like mainstream crowd would drag her down to their level.

“What about you?”

“Auh, I’d... rather not say. My interest perhaps would be too boring for you, Usami-san.”

Sanae was secretive for someone so superficially social. Getting any information beyond what Sanae was willing to reveal was proving to be a strenuous matter. An awkward silence followed as Sanae failed to restart conversation. Bored, Sumireko’s attention soon went to an arcade at the corner of the mall building, specifically the crane game in front of the store.

And of course, Sanae was quick to notice that too.

“Oh, does it tickle your fancy? I’m not good with crane machines, so I don’t play it often. But the Jack Frost doll you can obtain is very cute…” Sanae stared at the machine while Sumireko was weirded out by her attentiveness. Sumireko never actually played crane games before, but it had been something she had an on-and-off desire to try. She was sure they wouldn’t be that hard. Perhaps if she get Sanae a doll, she would be in a good enough mood to talk?

“Fine, leave it to me. I'll get the doll for you. Crane games are just a matter of calmness and precision.”

“That’d be lovely!” Although Sanae seemed to be happy to hear that, Sumireko could hear the doubt seep into her voice seconds later. “In that case I'll try looking around inside then, until you're done. It’s fine if you don’t win anything, Usami-san.”

“Hmph, doubting me, are you?” Sanae's words of caution only fueled Sumireko's desire to win. It’s now a matter of her pride for her to win. How hard could this be anyway, she wondered. Just control the grabber, be steady, and she would get it. As Sanae entered the building on her own, Sumireko inserted her first coin and held the control stick. If this go well, Sumireko thought of getting a doll or two for herself and Maribel as well…

...

...

“Usami-san, it’s fine. Just let the others play for now, we can try again later.”

Sanae’s words finally made Sumireko snap out of her crane-induced trance. She turned around to see a lot of people standing behind her. This included a kid right behind her, looking at Sumireko with begging eyes for the Jack Frost doll she did not have. With a sheepish smile and a bit of shame, Sumireko withdrew herself from the machine as Sanae escorted her into the store.

“Hmph, the machine here is probably rigged anyway.”

“Now now, that’s not what you should say when you fail, Usami-san.” Sanae patted Sumireko in the back to console her. Suffice to say, Sumireko’s attempt to lift Sanae’s mood didn’t work. In fact she was getting consoled by Sanae over it instead.

Once they were inside, they saw a good number of game machines there, old and new alike. Fighting games, racing games, shoot ‘em ups, shooters in general, rhythm games, quiz games, among many others.

“What kind of games do you like to play, Usami-san?” Sanae didn't seem to be the type to like playing games all that much, but she looked comfortable here.

“Role-playing games, I guess?” And point-and-click adventure games, as well as puzzles. Those weren’t really things to brag about though. “Anything except shooters, first person or otherwise, they’re pretty lame.”

Sanae looked sad at what Sumireko said. It was surprising, Sumireko didn’t expect Sanae to be into those. Then again, it’s not Sumireko’s fault that she was terrible at shooters in the first place. Though, Sanae soon bounced back from her disappointment with a renewed spirit.

“That’s fine, there’s a lot of other games here we can play.”

“Alright, let’s look around a bit then.” The arcade wasn’t too packed that day, which was a blessing, though there were a number of other Gekkoukan students there.

Even if it was a small, one-floor building there were plenty of flashy and unusual machines to look at. For Sumireko who lived in Kyoto, even an arcade as small as this was a rare sight. She never went to one at least. If she had to pick on something to comment on, it was the volume. It was like every machine’s volume setting was set to the max, with no regard for Sumireko’s frail ears or anyone else’s. It would’ve been so unpleasant, but somehow it felt right for the place. The dense smell of cigarettes too didn’t bother her all that much. She spotted Sanae waving to her at the corner.

“Usami-san! Look at this.” Sanae was standing next to a table with several contraptions stuck to it. If Sumireko had to guess, it was an air hockey table. “This looks pretty simple, so even you should be able to play this!”

“I don’t like the way you said that… but alright, sure. Let’s play.” Sumireko walked to the side opposing Sanae and inserted a coin. A loud, obnoxious tune played which signalled the beginning of their ‘match’. “So, how do I do this?”

“You just put the piece down on the table and then hit it. Try to score, Usami-san.”

Sumireko found what she assumed to be the hockey puck from below, and promptly did as Sanae told her. The piece she hit traveled forward smoothly, before Sanae hit it back violently, getting a score off Sumireko right off the bat. Sumireko glanced up and the girl was smiling calmly.

How annoying. Sumireko scowled and served another one.

“How often do you come to an arcade like this?” She decided to turn the table now by asking the other side a question just after she served. Sanae received it perfectly however, and turned the game into a volley of exchanges. The pace of the game was steady, and the constant passing of the puck was still manageable enough for Sumireko so far. At the same time, Sanae seemed to be in perfect control of her own pace, not exerting herself to receive Sumireko’s shots.

“It’s my first time, actually. Back at my place we don’t have arcades.” With her answer comes a fast zigzag shot that overwhelmed Sumireko, scoring a goal before she noticed it. The other side cheered. “Ooh, another one!”

“You seems to pick up this game really well then, if this is your first time.” Sumireko herself didn’t know much about air hockey, but she had a feeling a newbie shouldn’t be this good at it. Sumireko shot the puck forward yet again, aiming to trip Sanae up to open up an opportunity for a direct straight shot.

“Ahaha, maybe I’m just a natural then…” Another smile, another point scored. How did that even happen? The moment Sumireko listened to Sanae’s reply, she already fired a fast drift that went by unopposed.

“Yeah, whatever you say.” So far, the score was three-zero in Sanae’s favor. Sumireko couldn’t find an opportunity to score, thanks to Sanae’s tight defense. Subconsciously, Sumireko started to play more aggressively. She began to feel irritation at Sanae’s blatant lie, and at her own impotence. But her aggression only made Sanae score twice in quick succession right after, further incensing Sumireko.

“Okay, alright then.” Sumireko held the puck in her hands, ready to strike again. Just before she hit the serve, she quickly said, “So uh, like last night at midnight I went outside and I saw you walking around with a gun… Hah!”

“Uwa!” Sanae, confused and shocked by what Sumireko just said, missed the shot and it entered the goal, finally pushing the score to five-one. Sumireko knew it. Sanae was trying to pretend like the mysterious phenomena at midnight didn’t exist so Sumireko used it to her advantage. Even if the green-haired girl may have thought that was unfair, she wasn’t going to complain about it, was she? Sanae’s pouting face afterwards ticked Sumireko off though.

In an instant, Sanae took back the point. It was six-one and Sumireko had the serve again. “You’re way too good at this.”

“...To be honest, I’m a little annoyed now. Please hurry and play.” Sumireko couldn’t believe Sanae was capable of feeling emotions like that.

“If you’d just tell me what’s going on you’ll feel better.” Not that she had any guarantee that’d be true. Upon seeing Sanae’s unrelenting figure though, Sumireko sighed and served weakly. Again, Sanae took advantage of the opening to Sumireko’s left side and immediately scored. “...You’re too good. No, that’s not where I should comment on. Come on, don’t be stubborn and just tell me.”

“Usami-san.” Sanae’s words cut across her. “Regardless of circumstances that was low.”

“I’m not going to apologize for that until you tell me everything you’re hiding.” Sumireko declared confidently as she struck the puck.

“Then, I’m sorry but you won’t get anything from me.” WIth her strong defenses, Sanae didn’t give Sumireko a single opening.

Sumireko served a few more rounds, but Sanae left her unanswered whenever she tried to make some light talk. Even ones unrelated to finding out the secret Sanae was hiding. Sumireko had managed to get Sanae to the point where she couldn’t deny she had something to hide, but now she was silent altogether. It wasn’t working.

“I’m going home.” Sumireko declared after the score reached double digits. She was tired of it. And of Sanae’s lack of answers. It was beginning to agitate Sumireko herself. As she turned around, she turned her head back to Sanae once. “And I’m going alone.”

“Alright, Usami-san. See you later.” Sanae finally spoke, but she didn’t sound as jovial as she usually did. Sumireko supposed that was her own doing too. Sumireko didn’t look back as she exited the mall.

X-X-X

The sun was setting. It wasn’t quite dark yet, but if Sumireko didn’t hurry it would be a little difficult to see. When she arrived, alone, at the dorm building she stood just in front of the door, silently listening in. Just in case someone was already inside.

"-need to manifest her potential first before I will authorize another mission." Unexpectedly, she heard an unfamiliar voice of a woman. Its tone commanded much more authority than Marisa’s would have. It was a person Sumireko has yet to meet. Perhaps it was the third (fourth if she counted herself) dorm member Marisa mentioned yesterday. Curious, Sumireko peered through the door gap for the second time that day.

She saw three figures sitting on the sofa, discussing something. One of them was Marisa, but the other two were unfamiliar. The one who gave a stern reply was a young woman exuding an air of mature elegance. If not for her wearing a Gekkoukan uniform, Sumireko wouldn't have thought that someone like her was a high school student. She had a feeling she had just seen someone who fitted the same description earlier in the day, but their hair colors were different. The other was a frail, bespectacled man in a pale yellow suit, listening closely to Marisa, but otherwise letting the young woman to reply to the blonde.

"Oh, come on... We already have Sanae-chan; the two of us and her should be enough right?”

"No. Kochiya is not even done with her training yet.”

“Well, guess I can't really argue with that.” Marisa sounded dejected for a moment, but she didn't disagree at the young woman's verdict in the end. One short exchange later, and Marisa left for upstairs.

Sumireko waited to see if they would engage in conversation on their own that would reveal more, but with every second she stood outside trying to peer in, Sumireko looked more suspicious to the people walking by. She couldn’t afford that either. Sumireko breathed in, and then threw opened the door. Upon seeing her, the two immediately reacted.

“Ah, we have been waiting for you. Usami Sumireko.” The bespectacled man stood up to greet her. His appearance was gentle and clearly made him out to be a non-action sort of person. Sumireko didn't reply to the greeting. They were quite suspicious, and they knew about her. A long silence followed, which was broken by the young woman who rose from her seat.

“Right. Pardon us. We should have introduced ourselves first.” Her dark red hair flowed quite beautifully as she spoke – it was quite a distracting sight that stole Sumireko's attention before the redhead continued. “My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I was supposed to be here to welcome you two nights ago, but certain circumstances unfortunately delayed me.”

Kirijo? As in that Kirijo Group? Sumireko knew the dorm, as well as Gekkoukan itself, was owned by the group. The entire artificial island they all stood on too. But having the heir of the company right before her, actually attending the same school as her, speaking right before her now, was something Sumireko never thought was possible. She felt intimidated by Mitsuru's presence and status just by her being here. However, Sumireko steeled her will. Something was definitely happening underneath the cover of her peaceful everyday school life. Something was definitely being concealed, and Sumireko knew she was involved somehow.

“As for me.” The man followed suit in introducing himself while Sumireko was still silent. “I’m the chief director of Gekkoukan and an associate of Miss Kirijo here, Ikutsuki Shuji.”

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Sumireko felt a rush of blood flowing right to her head. She cut straight to the point, eager for an opportunity for the truth to surface. Sanae had been uncooperative so far, but the two here could be different. What they were talking about earlier sounded dangerous. It sounded like one of the things Renko would involve herself with.

“I thought to visit and see if our new dorm resident is doing alright. Miss Kirijo ended up joining me as well.” Sumireko gulped. That two seemingly important figures as these two were there just to visit her. Or rather, to visit her and discuss things with Marisa in secret. She wasn’t fooled by this man’s excuses but she was nervous and fearful nonetheless.

“Are you willing to spare a few minutes to chat, perhaps over a cup of tea if that is to your liking?”

“Of course! Ah...that would be great, yes.”

How convenient. Sumireko nodded to Ikutsuki's offer and found herself a seat. Ikutsuki walked away and returned with a full tea set.

“I heard that you lived in Iwatodai before.” Ikutsuki opened the conversation with an uncomfortable prompt. Sumireko tried her best to look unaffected.

“Yes… though I moved to Kyoto just before I turned seven, so I don't remember much.”

“Ah, that is true. We heard about what happened ten years ago...” Sumireko was quite annoyed. If he knew already, then why did he have to ask at all?

“We can't change the past, there's no point talking about it anymore.” It was still clear as day to Sumireko. The accident on Moonlight Bridge that claimed her parents' life and changed her own forever. She didn’t need a reminder.

“How different is this city compared to Kyoto?” Mitsuru was the one to ask next.

“I like it, there aren’t as many tourists around. I think I'll enjoy my time here more than there, even if I'll miss the attractions.” That was true to some degree. Sumireko hated the crowds of Kyoto. Even though it was a small city, there were many tourists and a surprising amount of people who commuted there daily. She hoped to find some peace of mind here… at least once Sanae stopped following her around. Someone like Mitsuru would have been to Kyoto before though, so in the end all of this was needless common courtesy. This continued until Sumireko lost her patience and went on the offensive.

“Actually, there is something I've been wanting to ask. Ever since I arrived here, I felt that this place is quite strange.” Mitsuru and Ikutsuki still looked at her with the same expressions as before. “I arrived here at midnight, and I saw Marisa-senpai and Sanae possessing what looked like firearms, and I heard you talking with Marisa earlier regarding missions.”

Sumireko could just tell the two about the midnight hour, but if they weren't as complicit with the secret, that might alienate them too much to take her seriously.

“Ah.” Mitsuru was still as calm as ever. “Regarding that, we do have routine firearm training here. There are rumors of dangerous activity occurring in this area, and we simply made sure to be able to protect ourselves.”

That was nonsense. Such an excuse would not allow high school students to possess firearms here in Japan. Or perhaps they were part of the yakuza. Mitsuru did look like a ringleader. Sumireko wanted to ask more questions. They were all hiding something from her, and not knowing something was very frustrating. Especially now that it might actually pose a danger. At the same time she wasn't able to get herself to utter another word. She implicitly understood that she could not ask questions to anyone here.

“That’s all I have to ask then. If you’ll excuse me…” With a grunt, Sumireko left the two to themselves and went back to her room. It was frustrating, and while she understood that she had to perform her own investigation later, right now she was not in the mood for it.

Once in her room she leapt onto the bed and covered her head with a pillow. Although it was barely evening, Sumireko wanted to sleep. It was such a shame that she’d lose hours of her day towards sleeping, but she felt too tired to stay up any longer...

...

...

But she couldn't fall asleep.

An hour later, Sumireko found herself at her desk rather than sleeping, busily typing the next part of her story. Although, it was hard for her to immerse herself into that dream world when the only thing on her mind were things in real life. The nap she had was short and only served to make her more irritated the moment she woke up, and her frustration only grew as she noticed just how much of her current mood leaked into her writing.

“No, no, this is wrong!” Sumireko furiously slammed the backspace button, deleting portions of what she had wrote. “Why would Renko yell at the doctors about their treatment of Maribel? Ugh, but she would understandably be angry about how they kept Maribel for themselves for months… No, that’s not it!”

The yelling and violent abuse on the laptop keyboards halted. Something was wrong today. She felt cross at something and that was interfering with her writing. She couldn’t sleep so she hoped some writing would calm her down. That evidently didn’t work, so Sumireko set the laptop back on her desk and laid herself down on the bed.

She recalled the scenes she was just writing. Renko finally meeting Maribel at the hospital. It was earlier on but it was meant to be a happy, maybe a little emotional of a scene. At least, she was getting emotional over it.

“I wonder if this is what a writer’s block is, Renko…” She mumbled to no one in particular.

Instead of Renko’s voice, a knock on her door could be heard. Sumireko ignored it at first, but the next moment, someone pushed the door open, revealing herself to be Sanae. She had changed into a more casual outfit so she probably arrived not long after Sumireko herself.

“What’s the matter, Usami-san? I could hear you from downstairs.” Rather than the stern expression she had earlier on the arcade, Sanae showcased worry now. It didn’t quell Sumireko by a bit. In fact, she was rather annoyed that the other girl almost walked in on her talking to Renko.

“What kind of friend invites themselves into their friend’s room without permission?” Aside from her earlier glance, Sumireko didn’t even bother to turn to face Sanae.

“A-ah, pardon me for that, Usami-san.” Sanae paused for a moment. “And...I’m sorry about earlier in the arcade, I know you’re anxious about everything, so…”

That apology ended up being what managed to take Sumireko’s attention, but not in a good way. Perhaps it was just due to her own mood right now, but all that Sumireko could hear were words dripping in lies, fabricated niceness meant to pacify her and make her ignorant. Sumireko locked her eyes on Sanae.

“A-anyway, I was going to invite you downstairs. We’re having Chinese food, so-”

“Mind your own business, will you?” Sumireko had enough of Sanae’s forced courtesy. What sort of friend would keep this many secrets from her? Sumireko was getting sick of Sanae’s niceness. It felt fake even before, but this was Sumireko’s breaking point. This morning, a thought passed on her mind that Sanae might not be faking. But that’s nonsense, and Sumireko Usami would not be deceived by such cheap tricks!

“Alright. No more maneuvering around the topic. If you really are my friend, answer me.

I know you’re aware of the phenomenon of the hour appearing after midnight. I saw you and Marisa active in it. What are you two doing there? What’s with the guns?

And why do all of you think that I should not know anything about this?”

Sanae did not say anything.

That was it for Sumireko. This was definitely the point where she should strip Sanae’s charade somehow. Fueled by her anger and self-justification, Sumireko stood up and approached Sanae, standing right in front of her without breaking eye contact. The doubt on her eyes, the confusion that was clearly reflected within her emotion. It was Sumireko’s first steps towards a triumph, but she couldn’t be content now. She had to dig the truth out from Sanae until she reached the root of it.

“Answer me!”

“I’m sorry but...I am in no position to answer that.” Sanae’s words were weak. She was on the verge of crying, but Sumireko didn’t seem to notice.

“Why can’t you answer? What would be so dangerous that you can’t even answer something like this?”

Yet that was all that Sanae said.

“What is so important about this anyway? Why are you taunting me with this secret? If you don’t have anything else to say, then get out!”

Without Sanae responding any further, Sumireko pushed her out of the room before she slammed the door right in her face. The door was then locked with a click, and that was the last interaction Sumireko had for the day.

X-X-X


	5. Persona

X-X-X

### Chapter 4: Persona

Sumireko once read somewhere that it only took three days to become accustomed to something new. As bitter as she was about yesterday, she could certainly say she was getting used to waking up in her new room by the third day. Or the fourth if she counted the first night she arrived.

“Maybe I was a little rude yesterday… No, it’s her fault for keeping things hidden.” Even as she woke up, the first thing on her mind was Sanae. Sumireko shook her head and got dressed. She had hoped that perhaps Renko would appear to offer some advice regarding the matter, but it seemed her thoughts were too occupied to see her.

Well, even without Renko telling her to, she decided she was going to avoid Sanae if at all possible from then onwards. After she got dressed, she repeated the same evasive maneuvers as she exited the room, making sure Sanae wasn’t out in the hallway to accidentally bump into. In fact, she could feel that there wasn’t anyone in the room at all as Sumireko walked past it. At the stairs too, Sumireko couldn’t hear anyone downstairs. It was still early in the morning so it was unlikely that everyone had left before she did.

Sumireko looked upwards.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never went up any further.” The building definitely looked taller from the outside. Even though the dorm was already much too large for the three of them so far (and the absentee fourth resident), it wouldn’t be a surprise if there was another floor or two to the building. Sumireko sneaked upwards.

There, Sumireko expected to see another hallway leading to a number of rooms again. Instead there was a sizable double door. There was a plate with ‘Meeting Room’ written as well. From behind the door, Sumireko could hear several voices getting heated. One of which was Sanae’s.

“I think we should stop with this already!”

Sumireko heard her and backed away instinctively. From just that one fragment, she couldn’t tell what the people inside were talking about. But upon hearing Sanae’s voice, Sumireko’s mood turned sour and she didn’t want to hear anymore of it. So she snuck back downstairs. She quickly ate breakfast by herself and then left the dorm.

 _Today is the day…_ Those words entered Sumireko’s thoughts. She couldn’t identify why she thought it, or what it referred to. Perhaps someone’s birthday? Or maybe an appointment? If she couldn’t remember the context, then it shouldn’t be that important. This sort of feeling happened often anyway; how Sumireko would sometimes get the feeling that she forgot about an appointment and started to panic, but then realizing not long after that it was just nothing. She hurried her steps, hoping that this thought would pass soon.

After an uneventful train ride, Sumireko found herself walking to Gekkoukan on her own for once. Doing so felt to Sumireko like strolling through a millionaire’s garden. It was an elite school, but even after taking that into account the campus was extraordinarily pretty. She hadn’t paid too much attention to it the past two days, possibly because of a certain country bumpkin who usually came with her. It moved Sumireko’s heart a little when she stepped past the school gate into the beautiful campus. For a moment, she felt like she was a perfectly ordinary elite high school girl. Walking together to class with fellow high school girls, drinking at tea parties, secretly discussing boys they liked…

Sumireko quickly dismissed those thoughts; she had no interest in doing those things. Instead she glanced towards the sky to appreciate the view.

It was then that she saw, standing on the main campus rooftop of the main building was a girl. It was the same black-haired girl she caught a glimpse of the other day. She was too far away for Sumireko to see in great detail, and the older girl seemed to be staring off into the distance. She hadn't seen her since yesterday, but something about her did feel familiar somehow.

“Hey, hey, have you heard...” Snapping her out of her reverie, Sumireko overheard two girls whispering and gossipping to the side as they hurriedly walked past. Sumireko looked around and noticed the number of students walking past her had lessened. The bell was about to ring, and she was about to be late if she didn’t hurry up.

She glanced up again and saw the older girl had already disappeared.

X-X-X

After classes ended for the day, Sumireko was unexpectedly approached by Aya, one of the girls Sanae introduced a few days ago. An energetic, average-looking black-haired girl, who didn’t stand out very well in the crowded, bustling classroom.

“Good day, are you busy now, Usami? We uh, need an extra person for something.” Behind the girl speaking, Sumireko spotted two others, one of which was Sanae, who looked a tad nervous. She wondered to herself, what that girl was up to this time? And the other girl wasn’t one of the two sitting at Sanae’s table during lunch time, but instead a depressed-looking person with pink hair that she never saw before. Back to Sanae, just for her presence, Sumireko wanted to vehemently refuse. She could only imagine Sanae had something planned. But, if Sumireko only ran away she’d never find out anything.

“ _Unfortunately_ , yes I’m free. What is it?” Despite the stressing in Sumireko's first word, the nuance was seemingly lost on Aya.

“Great! Let’s go find an empty classroom then...”

Sumireko’s inquiry was ignored entirely, and she was dragged away. The next thing she knew, she was in another classroom that had been deserted. Sumireko could only shake her head at the effort put by them to string her into their mess. She repeated her earlier question, her tone emphasizing her annoyance.

Aya spoke up again. “Well, y’see, there’s been this rumor going around...”

What Sumireko did not expect was for the girl to suddenly start droning about a paranormal rumor she heard from ‘a friend of a friend’. To summarize briefly, there was apparently a way to summon a wish-granting demon into a rectangular room through a ritual requiring four people. Even more unexpectedly, this was a rumor Sumireko hasn’t heard of before, but the moment she heard about the details, any last scrap of excitement she had disappeared. It was just the Bloody Mary ritual by another name.

In the first place, the other three girls, Sanae included, seemed less excited about the rumor and more on the group aspect of it. None of them were truly interested in the mystery of the rumor. Finally, despite having no relation to the Jungian concept, it was called the Persona game for some reason.

“I really doubt that this drivel is going to work.” The pink-haired girl voiced her objection after being silent all the time before.

“Scared?” Aya replied, tapping the new girl’s shoulder. Sumireko wasn’t sure what her name was, and she didn’t dare or care to ask.

“Preposterous. I wasn’t the one too scared to go to the bathroom on our last school trip.”

“Don't bring that up again, geez!”

If anything, the two non-Sanae girls seemed to be good friends. Only friends could exchange such banter without any hostility. Something about that irritated Sumireko all the more.

“Please calm down, both of you.” Sanae, as popular as she was, wasn’t out of place here either. That she was was able to casually blend into their conversation shows she’s been accepted. Being the fourth wheel, it was Sumireko who felt out of place. Perhaps Sanae sensed that, as she attempted to steer the conversation towards her. Her voice was bright and cheerful, as if last night and then earlier this morning just didn’t happen at all. “So how about it, Usami-san? It sounds exciting, I think.”

“Let’s just get this done with quickly.” Sumireko brushed her off and walked to her corner of the room. She wanted nothing to do with them. Her movement prompted the other three to do the same.

“On the count of three then…”

“Persona, persona, come forth!” The four girls chanted in unison. Each girl began walking from one corner of the rectangular room to the next, starting with Sanae, then the black-haired girl, to the other girl, and then Sumireko herself. Their steps were not synchronized, and there wasn’t a hint of finesse to be seen in the ritual. Rather than a ritual, it was more like an elaborate child’s play. It was a boring musical chairs without the music or chairs.

Upon completion, they waited. Then they repeated it again.

“Persona, persona!”

As Sumireko expected, only silence greeted them. There was little doubt, the ritual was a failure. Sumireko sighed.

“Aha... It’s a shame nothing happened, isn’t it?” Sanae broke the silence.

“I told you so.” “Come on! You went along with it too!” “I did not. You on the other hand, do look pretty pale though...”

“Anyway!” Sanae cut through them and turned to Sumireko with an apologetic expression. “Sorry to have disturbed you, Usami-san.”

“Yeah, you really did.” Sick of their company, Sumireko muttered to herself as she left the classroom and closed the door behind her. It turned out to be a waste of her time, and Sumireko wasn’t very delighted about it. How the other three seemingly enjoyed it only made it worse for her. Before she could hear their voices from behind the door, Sumireko took off. With nothing else to do, she decided to head home, talking to no-one during her commute back home. Once she arrived at the dorm she hurriedly went to her room and locked the door. It was only then did she feel secure enough to let her guard down. She didn’t expect a door lock to do much, as it wouldn’t be too hard to knock the door down if someone wanted to invade in, but it gave Sumireko some peace of mind.

“Hmm, I guess I can browse the net a little.” Sumireko pushed her laptop open and decided to spend the day slacking off. She needed a distraction to clear her mind.

X-X-X

“Oh my, you truly are unsightly.”

Being woken up in the middle of the night made Sumireko grumble. She reluctantly put on her glasses and violently turned around from the comfort of the hard and cool desk surface so she could yell at this sudden intruder.

To her surprise, the first thing she noticed was the time. It was right in the middle of the usual midnight hour – the sickly green hue had painted her surroundings dark. More unexpectedly, a strange little girl sat atop the bed in her bedroom, her tiny facial features illuminated by the green glow of the moon.

“Why, good day to you.” Her petite figure was clad in a long purple antique dress. Her hair was blonde and very long, and her skin perfectly sculpted like a porcelain doll.

“Last I checked, this is my room. Who are you?”

“Answering that would be...difficult, for I would like to know myself.” The girl let out a giggle, as if she made a particularly witty joke. It didn't improve Sumireko's mood. “I can say this though, I am quite real. You may address me as... Yukari Yakumo.”

“...I know you.” Now that her mind was clearer, Sumireko began to notice that it was the same girl as the one she saw the night she arrived at Tatsumi Port, just moments before the midnight hour phenomenon began. The vintage purple dress, the white mob cap, and the red ribbons on her long, blonde hair were unmistakably hers.

Familiar or not though, this ‘Yukari’ managed to annoy her the moment she started talking. If she wasn't sore from being forcefully woken up, Sumireko would've dragged this little girl out personally. “What do you want?”

“Oh, nothing much.” Yukari’s tone was very dismissive and calm, as if talking to herself. “Although certainly, I would very much desire to see you waste your life away indulging in your delusions, shutting away people who care for you. Perhaps one day after years of isolation, I will see you come to an unfortunate realization, _‘Oh! I should’ve made friends back then! Why did I waste my time writing? O lord, let time stop so I shall think no more!’_ ”

Upon seeing that Sumireko wasn’t replying however, the little girl coughed. ”...Well, with that said, if I had to give a reason for waking you up, it would be to notify you about the fulfillment of a contract you have signed before.”

A contract? Sumireko shuddered – She couldn't remember signing any suspicious contracts before. She wondered if this was some elaborate prank. Nothing about what this Yukari Yakumo said made any sense. And she was also extremely annoyed by the girl’s unprovoked animosity. Sumireko's silence ended up being the sign for Yukari to continue.

“You remember nothing? As expected of Sumireko Usami.” The girl hopped off from the bed before circling around Sumireko's room, waiting for a reaction. “Although, I believe you will in due time.”

Much as her tone and attitude irritated Sumireko, she still used this moment to carefully observe Yukari. Something about her appearance felt familiar to Sumireko even outside of how she had seen her back on her first day in this city. It reminded her of the well-dressed little girls from the foreign soap operas her aunt had on cable. That must be it. Since she’s annoying, appeared so suddenly, and knew way more than she should, Sumireko concluded that Yukari was simply a gho-

“Hm?”

Deep in her thought, Sumireko didn’t notice how Yukari had suddenly closed in on her. "Boo." She said playfully, which shocked Sumireko and made the chair lose balance and she fell to the ground, losing her glasses and bumping her head against the wall. Seeing that, Yukari pulled away and giggled as Sumireko fumbled around on the ground for her glasses.

“Ahah...oh how silly of me, almost forgetting something important. I was also here to remind you that tonight will be a full moon. Surely someone like you would understand the significance of that.”

“Stop being so cryptic!” Despite knowing that there were people that were up at that time, Sumireko yelled, her glasses worn unevenly.. “What is wrong with you? You wake me up to diss me and throw me a bunch of random nonsense. There’s no way you’re real. This has to be a dream, but if that’s the case then you’re the most annoying character I’ve met so far.”

“If this is just a dream, that is.” Yukari only responded to it with another childish giggle before her form disappeared into the night. “You may believe what you wish… Sumireko.”

X-X-X

Sumireko woke up. It was night time and she felt it on her skin: it was just past midnight. The disgusting green hue colored the world yet again. But no, that wasn’t what woke her up.

“So that actually was a dream…”

CRACK

“Usami-san, this is an emergency! Please open the door!”

A loud knock and Sanae’s voice brought Sumireko out of her daze. A second later. Sanae burst through the door. The door hinges were broken with such force Sumireko could not believe a lone high school girl was able to power through it. Sumireko struggled to find her glasses until she realized that she already had them on for some reason.

“Usami-san! You’re already up! Follow me, quick!”

“You’re…”

Her hands went for Sumireko’s, but Sumireko slapped them away immediately. This was her chance to finally get some answers straight from the girl herself. She noticed Sanae’s visibly pained expression when she slapped her away, but chose to ignore it. “What’s going on? I won't budge until you explain everything. For real. No more secrets.”

“Th-that can wait until-”

“No it can’t! I have a right to know! Right now!” Sumireko grabbed Sanae by her shoulders and shook her. The confusion that befell her the past few days, as well as the agitating dream earlier, was reaching its limit. “Who are you? Why are you up at this time? What is going on-”

The building shook at that moment and loud tremors were heard. Downstairs, a mass of incomprehensible shrieking resounded. It was unlike anything Sumireko had ever heard before, and she felt the sheer malice emanating from wherever it came from. It felt just like the blob that attacked her three nights ago. That silenced Sumireko.

“...Please, just trust me this once.” Sanae held out her hand again.

“How can I-” Through her own fingers, gripped tightly on the other girl’s shoulders, Sumireko felt the girl’s fear and trembling. She then finally noticed and glanced downwards. Sanae had the pistol strapped to her waist again, and held a bow in one hand as well. A bow quiver hung from her back, filled with arrows. Neither of those were the standard wooden bows found in archery practice ranges. They were real, made to kill. Sanae was equipped.

“...Alright.” The gravity of the situation began to dawn on her. Sumireko let go of the girl’s shoulders and took her hand.

The two girls rushed out into the hallway. The dorm lights were out and Sumireko couldn’t see anything. The spiral set of stairs that led down to the darkness showed nothing of the floors below. Yet, Sumireko felt an otherworldly presence down there. Without even seeing it, Sumireko understood that she would be killed the moment she stepped down there. Sanae must’ve either sensed it or witnessed it directly, for she seemed to understood the same truth and led her upstairs.

“Kirisame-senpai is busy trying to hold it back!” Sanae informed her as they ran. Hold it back? Sumireko thought. How was a normal human being supposed to hold it back? And what was it? Briefly, her mind wandered to the memory of the butterfly maiden the other night. No good, the image was blurry in her mind. Her head was throbbing like it had hit something earlier, and Sumireko couldn’t focus on anything other than following Sanae.

The two burst into the rooftop. Sumireko fell to the ground to catch her breath. As Sanae closed the door to the rooftop behind her, Sumireko decided that it was a good time to ask again.

“Sanae.” For the very first time, Sumireko addressed her by her name. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

“Usami-san…” Sanae must’ve been aware of it too. Her face visibly relaxed for a moment, then it warped into horror. “Watch out!”

She quickly threw herself and Sumireko’s body away from the steel door just as a long shadowy limb speared through it from behind. From the corner of Sumireko’s eye, she saw it.

Before her was a massive wall of dark matter and black tentacle-like tendrils, hovering just above the roof fence. Her heart and mind stopped. It was beyond anything Sumireko had ever seen. No, she had seen something like it before, just three nights earlier. But it didn’t compare to this monstrosity in front of her. There was no escape, death was certain.

Off to the side, Sanae too was shaking. But she held her ground and drew her pistol out. Her lips and her hands were trembling as she chanted to herself however. “I can do it...I can do it...I can do it… I won’t let you harm her!”

Even at a time like this, she chose to stand between Sumireko and certain death. It would’ve been much easier to run away alone, but instead she tried to save Sumireko anyway. The hopeless Sumireko however, couldn’t help but doubt the thought of something as small as a gun being able to harm the monstrosity, but then Sanae slowly and hesitantly brought the muzzle to her forehead.

“Per...Perso, Persona-”

Before Sanae finished, the wall of darkness extended another one of its tendons and violently struck Sanae from the side, pushing her away from Sumireko. With a loud crack, Sanae’s body hit the hand rails on the roof, bending from the force. Sumireko’s blood turned cold.

_Did Sanae just try to kill herself?_

Then another tendril extended towards Sumireko. It was certain death this time. Sumireko could not doubt it. She caught a glimpse of Sanae’s face then, lying on the concrete.

And time seemed to stop.

Imprinted on Sanae’s face was an expression of determination, not resignation. It told Sumireko that Sanae had no intention to just give up and die. Even though the situation was so incomprehensibly hopeless.

She could not have been trying to commit suicide just now. It was illogical, yet Sumireko believed that Sanae would fight to the death to protect her. This girl who Sumireko tried to distance herself from ever since their first meeting, willing to risk everything for her, no matter how rude and dismissive Sumireko had been to her.

Sumireko’s knees weakened and she fell to the ground.

By sheer luck, the shadow tendril missed her head by inches, and buried itself into the steel door. The sound of metal being crushed almost destroyed Sumireko’s ears and woke her from her trance.

Left with no other options, Sumireko scrambled forward and grabbed for the only weapon in sight. Sanae’s pistol, one that she had dropped right where she once stood.

She aimed at the monstrosity in front of her, but her arms continued to shake. Her earlier doubts on whether such a small weapon could harm the monster returned.

Then she recalled what Sanae was going to do earlier. She had no idea how would shooting her own head help. Sumireko did not want to die. Dying here would mean the death of Sanae too. Yet, as if the weapon itself guided her, the next thing she felt was the cold metallic barrel of the weapon touching her scalp. She had aimed the gun towards herself, ready to blow her brains with one pull of the trigger.

“Why-”

 _“Go on, try.”_ She heard the half-familiar voice of Yukari Yakumo in her head cutting her own words mid-sentence.

Sumireko gulped.

Her hands trembled.

The monster in front of her was just about to shoot another spike at her.

Her hands were sweating.

Her body trembled.

A word appeared from the depths of her mind, like a chant for a spell. The word that she had shouted earlier that day, during the ritual with Sanae and her friends. Why would she remember that now? Inexplicably, it made Sumireko smile.

Sumireko shouted the word as she pulled the trigger.

**“Persona!”**

A loud bang. A fleeting sensation of pain. Then, nothing.

Sumireko's mind cleared up at the aftermath of the shot. She wasn't dead yet, but nothing seemed to have happened, just like with the ritual. As she thought that however, a congregation of myriad blue butterflies swarmed before her, slowly forming an strange, yet completely familiar figure.

_“I am thou, and thou art I.”_

It was humanoid but inhumane. Its porcelain, featureless face framed with neck-length black hair and a black hat, resembled a girl’s face. Its body was more a piece of steam contraption rather than flesh, yet it wore a red necktie. On her back was a large musical instrument, resembling the lyre that Sumireko once read from an encyclopedia.

Sumireko recognized it. The figure was, for a lack of better word, seemingly a physical manifestation of Usami Renko. Its black and white color scheme made resemblance to Renko quite obvious. Even more than that, it emanated a warm aura that conveyed to Sumireko that it was the same character she had came up with.

_“From the sea of thy soul, I have come. I am Orpheus, muse of sacred mysteries.”_

A manifestation of herself. That thought made Sumireko smile. She was familiar enough with Greek mythology to recognize the name, and she remembered Orpheus played a lyre. However, what was the connection between Renko and Orpheus?

CRACK

Sharp pain invaded Sumireko's head before she could think about it more.

“AHH!” Sumireko fell, letting out inaudible screams as she clutched her head. She watched, while writhing on the ground, as Renko underwent similar convulsions. A crack formed in the middle of the mechanical figure’s form, as if to mirror the feeling of her own head being torn in half. Two white gloved hands deftly slipped through and tore Renko apart from within as if she was a cocoon. Her pieces were torn aside without care, as the figure within revealed itself.

Floating where Renko was moments earlier was a feminine figure with almost doll-like pale complexion, her long blonde hair flowed freely. From where she was, Sumireko could not make out the details even though it was so close. While Sumireko's glasses were misaligned, but even more than that, it was as if the figure was intruding upon reality itself just by existing. As if it was an existence that were more than what mortals should ever hope to perceive.

It was as if time only resumed once the blonde figure emerged, and the monstrosity immediately showered her with countless tendrils at once, from every direction. Dodging them was seemingly impossible.

The mysterious blonde figure didn’t budge an inch. With a simple swipe of her hand, all of her attackers’ tendrils were consumed by holes in the air, like tears in reality, ripping the appendages off as they closed up.

The monster shrieked, as countless holes opened up in the empty space above it almost immediately after, from which black appendages not unlike the creature’s own emerged. At first glance it seemed like the monster magically summoned reinforcements, but then the limbs began grabbing anywhere it could in the mess of darkness and started to methodically tear it apart. Parts of the darkness landed on the concrete and then evaporated away. From the ground, Sumireko watched the gruesome dismembering until the monstrosity had been torn to shreds. Ten seconds hadn't even passed since the blonde figure's appearance.

At the end of it all, what remained was a creature that looked not unlike a young girl rather than the mess of tentacles and darkness earlier. Adorned with short, blonde hair with a red ribbon on it and clothed in a simplistic black dress, these details would've made her cute if one were to ignore her face. What looked like it should be her face was completely covered in large, toothed tendrils however, and one of those tendrils carried around a featureless mask.

Then, the imposing thing that emerged from Renko turned to Sumireko. Her appearance was definitely familiar, but Sumireko couldn't think straight enough yet to pinpoint who might it be. Where it’s face would be was instead a blank white mask just like the monster, that somehow still was capable of giving a mocking expression to her. After a moment of staring, the figure disappeared as abruptly as its appearance, and Renko appeared once more in its stead.

“A-Ah…”

The monstrosity shrieked at Sumireko as she tried to stand up. Sumireko's thoughts were now entirely focused on Renko, and the terrifying roar of the adversary before her was but background noise. She was completely sure now. She didn't know yet how would she command her, but she was sure that Renko was a manifestation of herself, in other words, she was a manifestation of her own power. Renko would fight for her, follow her every command, and perhaps even die for her.

“I am you, and you are me, huh? There's a lot that I still don't understand, but for now I think I understand enough.” She understood what she could and should do now. That was enough. This was her chance to protect Sanae with her own two hands. As if responding to that determination, Renko drew her instrument.

Several of the shadow girl’s appendages came flying and Renko moved to action, swiping them away casually with the lyre wielded like a club. Upon seeing the deflected appendages bury themselves into the concrete ground, Sumireko understood the sheer strength Renko wielded. A spike honed in on Sumireko instead, but Renko flew in and swiped it away too. The shadow could not reach her.

Having understood that, Sumireko willed Renko to rush forward, and with a mighty bash, Renko splattered the creature into a puddle of black goop. For a second, Sumireko thought it was done in for good, but then the blob on the ground expanded into countless numbers of black spikes. Sumireko saw it just in time, and she summoned Renko again to block it for her. But at the same time, the spikes started to spread out.

Very briefly, she caught sight of Sanae’s unconscious face in the distance. She was still unconscious, and hadn't moved from where she was before. Many of the spikes were going towards her direction now, all while she was too far for her to reach.

Renko could not protect both Sanae and herself at the same time.

“Sanae!“ She yelled out as loudly as she could, hoping to wake her up. Was there nothing else Sumireko could do? Renko was strong, but that alone was not enough. If Renko could teleport and appear by Sanae’s side, that would be perfect. But then Sumireko would remain unprotected and would surely die.

No, she wouldn’t allow that either.

Then let Sanae die? After all, she had tried so hard already. Even if Sumireko couldn’t protect her, no one would blame her. This situation is entirely absurd. Let Sanae die, and Sumireko would be able to save herself.

It was tempting, but she couldn't bring herself to. She wanted to save Sanae. For the first time in her life, someone else cared about Sumireko enough to genuinely risk their life for her.

There was a time back in middle school when Sumireko would lie in bed, lamenting that her classmates had all grown up leaving her with no one to share her interests with. She was immature, she understood that. She will grow up one day too, she told herself. She just wanted a little more time to still be herself. How merciful would reality be if time would slow to a halt.

Here too, at this moment, under highly different circumstances, Sumireko found herself making the same wish again. That time would slow down.

If time slowed so I can reach Sanae in time.

If time slowed at all, somehow...

_Persona!_

The next moment came, but very slowly. Suddenly the black drills came to a slow crawl. The world itself too, slowed. Time slowed. Only the figure of Renko floating in the air, her hair wavering in the wind, showed any sign of regular movement.

There was no time to question reality. Every second counted. Immediately Sumireko took off. With the drills so slow, she easily reached Sanae. Sumireko carried her by the arm and pulled her out of harm’s way. And then time began to move normally again. The spikes immediately pierced through the ground where the two used to be, splattering the concrete rubble everywhere. The two girls would have been annihilated had they not moved. But they were safe. They had reached the end of the rooftop corner.

At the same time, Sumireko’s thoughts began to run again, and her heart began to beat very heavily. She could slow down time! No, Renko was able to do that, not her.

Once again, the shadow launched its spikes at Sumireko, and again she summoned Renko. Then she dragged Sanae’s body away and evaded the deadly blow narrowly. Sumireko and the floating girl repeated this exchange again and again as the rooftop became riddled with holes. There would be nowhere left to stand on soon.

“You’re too heavy, Sanae!”

Before it could get to that point however, Sumireko collapsed to the ground, exhausted. In the first place, she was a frail teenage girl and spent all her time in her room doing things. She couldn’t carry Sanae properly and instead dragged her around. Sanae’s clothes, usually always clean and fashionable, were dirty and torn. The monstrosity was on the other hand, undamaged. Sumireko felt like she heard it snicker. Although Renko had such an amazing ability, it was only enough to keep Sanae and herself alive this far.

Sumireko collapsed to the ground. She was at her limit. The monstrosity fired its tendrils once more. This would be the end. Sumireko had tried her best this time, she felt. Sumireko pulled her pistol out again but by now her mind was sluggish. She doubted whether she could even summon Renko anymore. But she may as well try. She forced what was left of her energy to pull the gun again, but a light tap on her shoulders stopped her.

“Well done. You can rest now.”

As if it were a dream, someone leapt forward from behind Sumireko. Even if she had never seen her face before, Sumireko knew it at heart that it was the black-haired senior she saw at the school rooftop. Her serene, almost emotionless expression would fit no one else. For just a second, her gaze, focused on Sumireko, was strict yet encouraging. The next second, the gaze shifted to the monstrosity, and the emotion contained in it changed too. A cold determination, a desire to eliminate, from what little Sumireko could see of that gaze. “Reimu Hakurei, exterminating the shadow.”

“Persona!” She too had a pistol, and shot at her own head without hesitation.

CRACK

What appeared forth was, rather than a mechanical doll, more like a humanoid being. Its ears and arms had long crimson butterfly wings sprouting out, and the rest of its body was infused with a long and elaborate red and white dress. It was the butterfly maiden from the very first night.

Renko looked like a junk doll compared to the newcomer's Persona - a beautiful, exotic creature who danced freely on the air. The shadow shot an immeasurable number of tendons and drills straight at her.

Reimu and her Persona leapt into the air and flew upwards, masterfully avoiding the homing drills. The girl’s form danced in the moonlit sky, and then descended straight for the shadow. In her hands, Sumireko spotted several small needles held between her digits. As the girl approached closer, she threw them towards the monstrosity. Several of the shadow’s tendrils returned to intercept them, but two went through and pierced the main body right on its head. Immediately, a deafening scream rang from the monstrosity, and the tendrils that chased the girl thinned down.

The opening was not wasted. Reimu summoned her Persona again mid-air, and had it fire several objects towards the so-called shadow. Sumireko could barely make out strips of paper. Ofudas?

“Hama!” The declaration of Reimu's attack caused the fired Ofudas to form a magic circle around the shadow, causing white light to burst out from its insides. The beams of light emanating from within were thin and weak, but expanded rapidly alongside the cracks forming. The next moment, the rooftop was engulfed with the pure light as a large explosion happened, then it died down.

Sumireko opened her eyes again and saw that the shadows did not survive the attack. All this happened in less than a handful of seconds, and Reimu finished it off without a single scratch on her. Against such a display of elegant power, Sumireko stared at her with awe, much like the first time the butterfly miko had saved her on her first night in Iwatodai.

However, Sumireko's vision began to dim. Now that she was safe, the adrenaline rush wore off and the exhaustion caught up to her. She wanted to say one thing, she wanted to thank Reimu for saving Sanae and herself, but she lost consciousness before she could express herself.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that ends the first real battle! Persona 3's story structure is rather slow to get to the point and we could've rushed through this beat but instead decided to make use of the time to develop things. Which unfortunately meant our pacing these first few chapters became slow as well. Hopefully we'll be able to diverge away from P3's rigid structure soon though.
> 
> For people who are familiar with Persona, we decided to give Personas special powers in addition to the usual SMT spells. This is mainly because Touhou had special abilities for its characters and we wanted to preserve at least some of that. It makes battles a little less straightforward while keeping in mind the relatively low power level in Persona. For Sumireko specifically, we decided to give her a time-related ability because Renko is associated with (keeping) time. We wanted her to be able to stop time akin to The World from JoJo or Renko's Galaxy Stop from Touhou Labyrinth, but it became too strong to write around. The limitations to Renko's power will become clearer as we go on.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it, and look forward for another update in this weekend!


	6. Intermission: The Arcane is Revealed

X~X~X

### Intermission: The Arcane is Revealed

With a groan, Usami Sumireko opened her eyes to find herself once again alone aboard a train. From beyond the window, she saw a familiar countryside vista set on a beautiful afternoon, with Mount Fuji visible in the distance, unmoving, as the train continued forward. Bits and fragments of faint memories resurfaced as Sumireko tried to figure out the reason why she was here. Was she going to Tokyo? That’s right, Maribel was held up in a hospital there… and Sumireko was on a train to go see her.

No, that wasn’t right.

“We meet again, detective.” Interrupting Sumireko’s train of thought was a blue-haired girl in a strange and conspicuous black-and-white attire, sitting on the opposite seat. This girl immediately felt familiar, Sumireko knew she had met her somewhere before. Perhaps during a long journey aboard a train. Sumireko did not remember such an encounter but the feeling of deja vu did not subside, as she stared into the other girl’s features, as the blue-haired girl began to speak, as it bowed to her with the elegance of a lord and the humility of a servant.

Suddenly, Sumireko noticed her surroundings. She was inside a train but it was strange somehow, she felt. The seats were cushioned and colored blue. Her freshly awoken eyes glanced across the room and saw the interior was also a deep shade of blue, decorated with high-quality fabric. And it wasn’t very well-lit, the only source of light came from the window. Sumireko wondered whether it had always been like this.

“Now then, I believe it is just the right time to properly greet you. My dear resident, welcome to the Velvet Room.”

As if prompted by the girl’s words, a loud sound reverberated through the train car. Except for the two themselves, everything around Sumireko and her conversation partner to shake. To Sumireko, it was a scene so detached of the reality that she felt it was like watching a live footage of a disaster. Curious, she opened the train window and looked outside, only to see that the train had long left the rails, and it instead was flying upwards. She saw the clouds quickly zip by the windows, as the hue of the sky turned darker and darker until it was pitch black. At the center of the sky was the full moon, brilliantly shining and only its radiant glow filled the train car Sumireko stood in.

“Who are you? What kind of dream is this?”

“I find it curious that you conclude this to be a dream right away.” The blue-haired girl’s voice jumped up a pitch as she made a most interested little smile. It was like she found a new toy to play with. “Allow me a little question. Are you quite certain of that?”

“Is it not?” Sumireko asked annoyedly. “I don’t have time to deal with more cryptic dreams.”

“My apologies then.” It surprised Sumireko that the being in front of her apologized so quickly and without an obvious hint of sarcasm. Outside, the train car had pierced the outermost layer of the atmosphere. “I am here on behalf of an acquaintance of mine, as a guide to the future that awaits you. My name would be Doremy Sweet.”

The bizarreness of everything confused Sumireko, who remained silent as her eyes were fixated on the otherworldly scenery outside. There were no other passengers on the train car, and the corridors leading towards the other cars were covered in complete darkness. The train continued on its way, passing through the moon, and the stars themselves, following a trail of brilliant white that looked like a flowing river made of light. Sumireko wondered if it was supposed to be the Milky Way. Sumireko was unsure. About what this Doremy was talking about. About this guidance she was supposedly providing. All that Sumireko wanted was to return to her room and continue spending time with Maribel. She wondered for another moment, how she came to be in the first place.

And then, she remembered the fight on the rooftop she just had.

“I… Sanae is-!”

“Your friend is safe, worry not.” Doremy answered her before Sumireko could properly form a question. Immediately Sumireko suspected whether the being in front of her read her mind, and as if she absolutely could, Doremy gave her another smile. “This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It has been more than a decade, at least if my counting is not terribly off, since we last had guests here.”

Sumireko’s thoughts were brought back to the present. She tried to recall what Doremy said to her earlier. “...The Velvet Room?”

“Correct. You, who have signed a contract in the distant past, has earned the right to enter this room.”

Instantly, Sumireko recalled the words that Yukari Yakumo, the strange little… brat that appeared earlier. Again here, the term ‘contract’ appeared, under equally confusing and dubious circumstances. Sumireko thought to voice a question, but before she could do so, Doremy gestured for her to stay quiet. A piece of paper then magically manifested on top the table before them, and Sumireko saw what was written in it.

_I, Usami Sumireko, take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions._

The handwriting was messier than her usual, but Sumireko recognized it as her own. She could not deny her own handwriting. She had no memory of writing such a thing, but deep inside she found herself acknowledging it entirely. She couldn’t explain why and it unnerved her.

“Henceforth, you shall be recognized as a visitor of the Velvet Room-”

“What is even happening here? That other girl, Yukari also talked about a contract. I don’t understand, is this a dream? Am I going insane?” Sumireko couldn’t hold her anxiety in, and she exploded into a handful of frantic questions. “Nothing makes any goddamn sense! Why do you all keep talking about this contract?!”

“...You will understand in due time. Please, calm yourself down." Doremy was unfazed. “It is unfortunate but you simply are not able to remember it, it is something that has happened in the distant past. But you have signed it, this is certainly the truth.”

It was not enough to calm Sumireko down fully, but she was made to realize that panicking wouldn’t do her much good. She took a deep breath. Deep breaths calmed her down, usually.

Seeing that Sumireko settled down, Doremy continued. “Let us move on to a slightly different topic. I see it is Orpheus who has heeded your call.”

The sudden name drop made Sumireko pull a blank for a moment. Then she recalled, atop the rooftop when she ‘summoned’ Renko. Orpheus, muse of the sacred mysteries, Renko had called herself that. “...How much do you know about what just happened?”

“Orpheus is an aspect of yourself. It is called a Persona, a manifestation of your psyche. Under such extreme conditions, you have summoned a stronger, more ideal form of yourself to deal with adversity. You are now unconscious after overexerting yourself to save that girl, but do not worry. You will wake up in time.”

“That is not what I asked.” Sumireko cut through her words. She was sick of dream figures not telling her what she wanted to hear.

Doremy blinked for a moment. Then she smiled again. “Do forgive me. It is a bad habit of mine. Not making myself clear right away, that is. I shall elaborate then. I understand everything that has transpired on the roof. That is why I can say with confidence your friend is alright.”

Sumireko was just a little glad. Now that she was fully awake and alert, the memories came back with startling clarity. She recalled Renko’s form.

"Because Orpheus is you, dear guest, it is only natural that is the form she decided on.” Her next question was also answered before she voiced it.

Sumireko sighed in relief. It was hard for her to make sense of it much, but she was glad that Renko was the one who stood by her side to protect her. Doremy’s way of phrasing Renko’s existence bothered her a little, but she wasn’t going to let that pull her down.

“And earlier, you said I will wake up in time. Doesn’t that confirm this is a dream?”

“...Well, that is certainly true. You’ve caught me red-handed.”

In spite of the situation, Sumireko found herself slightly grinning at the other girl. “So this is a dream after all.”

“Perhaps.” Doremy smiled to herself.

Sumireko heard the sound of the train’s whistles in the distance. Once again her attention was taken by the sight outside of the train windows. The vague shape of a train station slowly became apparent on the distance, as well as a large statue of some sort of long-necked avian. A swan? Sumireko wondered. Even under such strange circumstances, Sumireko found herself thinking it looked a little silly. In front of her, Doremy mirrored her actions, but with a look of slight wistfulness.

“Ah, it seems that we have reached today’s stop, but there are still more things I’d like to talk about with you. I will be expecting you to take a ride here again, detective.”

Before Sumireko had a chance to question Doremy further, she felt her vision slowly darken out and vertigo accompanying her falling asleep.

X~X~X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're sorry, but the proper chapter 5 will come a little bit slowly due to some issues. Hopefully it can be posted by this weekend however. In the meantime, enjoy a short intermission.


	7. somewhat trustworthy

X-X-X

### Chapter 5: somewhat trustworthy

When Sumireko awoke, she found herself in a hospital bed, dressed in a plain white gown. The room was equally nondescript, with white furniture and white walls and a spotlessly clean curtain blocking the windows. Likewise, Sumireko’s mind was blank. She didn’t wonder why she was there, why she was hospitalized. She only felt like she had a vague and confusing dream. An hour later, a doctor came in and explained her condition, but she found herself unable to concentrate properly. Her body was overworked and she collapsed. The fees had been handled by the Kirijo Group, and once she was sufficiently rested she would be discharged. It has been a full eight days since she collapsed. That should have worried her, yet Sumireko felt calm to the point of almost surprising herself.

She remembered what she just faced on the roof, so she understood that the real cause of her collapse was nothing as simple as overwork. The doctor was likely lying to reassure her. Sumireko found herself not caring a lot. When she was left alone again, Sumireko gaze lazily went to the sight outside the window. Sumireko was hospitalized often when she was younger. She was sickly and had to visit regularly, so she came to dislike them. Hospitals were a dull, dreary place. If she had to say, they were mildly uncomfortable. Now that she was bound to a bed inside one again, that discomfort grew exponentially.

Fortunately for her, a knock on the door interrupted that dull monotony. The door opened and Sumireko saw a familiar greenhead poke in. The next moment, she was tackled by Sanae. “Usami-san! I’m so glad you’re finally awake! You were unconscious for so long! Are you feeling well now?”

“Far from it…” The sudden closeness was also uncomfortable but only slightly and in a different way from hospital rooms. Sumireko pushed Sanae’s tear-stained face back, an act which didn’t seem to bother the other girl at all. It was then that Sumireko noticed Sanae’s bandaged arms. Her eyes were also sunken, reflecting her exhaustion. It was a far cry from Sanae’s usually healthy, faultlessly energetic self. It was then that Sumireko remembered what happened on the rooftop and knowing that this was the end result made her want to apologize.

But at the same time, she felt a sense of elation awakening inside. Whether she would admit it to Sanae directly was another matter entirely, but Sumireko was glad that Sanae survived. That they both survived. Sumireko had succeeded in protecting her.

“More importantly, we're both still alive.”

Upon hearing so, Sanae’s tears flowed again and she attempted to pull the resisting Sumireko into another caring hug. As weak and sluggish as Sumireko’s arms felt, she miraculously summoned enough strength to hold the other girl’s arms at bay. And then they began to laugh. Two girls who just survived a supernatural ordeal, giggling at the hospital room without a care in the world. They were alive. It surprised Sumireko more than anyone that she herself laughed first, laughed loudest, and laughed so genuinely. She hadn't felt like such for so long. She found herself letting go of Sanae’s arms and was then embraced lightly.

Eventually, they began to talk.

“I don’t know much of what happened after I passed out but it seems Kirisame-senpai broke her arm…”

It seemed to not be a life-threatening injury, but the seriousness of the matter unnerved Sumireko. It made her hurry to ask the question she had on her mind ever since. “I trusted you back then, at the rooftop. Now, can you tell me what that monster was... Sanae?”

Sanae seemed to react happily to either being told she was trusted or to Sumireko calling her by her name. “Ah, that was a Shadow, or so we decided to call it. Basically, they're monsters that reside in the Dark Hour... I don't want to sound like I'm dodging the topic again, but I was going to tell you that Kirijo-senpai said that she would clarify everything to you when you’ve recovered. The doctor said you still need to rest here for the day, but you should be able to return to school tomorrow morning.”

Sumireko wanted to push Sanae further for answers, but those words and Sanae’s current elation made her decide to wait a day longer. Shadows and monsters and Personas, none of them made any sense to her but Sumireko didn't want to ruin the peaceful mood in the room right this moment. On a side note, Miss Aristocrat Kirijo Mitsuru was likely a better person to hear an explanation from than Sanae, for a variety of reasons.

"...And the stuff about Personas, I'll have to wait until then too, right?"

"I'm sorry about that too but, yes.”

"In that case, hm..." Sumireko struggled to think of a question. It felt like a waste to not learn something now that the opportunity presented itself. It took her a while until she figured out something to ask. "Tell me more about yourself. Since when could you summon a Persona? Was that the actual reason you came to Iwatodai? Are you actually from the countryside or was that a cover story?"

"That’s just rude, Usami-san.” Sanae looked displeased with the perceived accusation. “I don't have a reason to lie about my hometown."

"Aha..." Sumireko had meant the last one as a joke, but it didn't seem to have conveyed itself well enough. Sumireko still wasn't quite sure how to properly interact with Sanae, now that she was intending to do so for once. It didn’t seem like Sanae took it to heart at least, and went on to answer the rest of her questions.

"I've only become a Persona user recently myself. It was about a month ago when one night I was awake and the Dark Hour hit. Kirisame-senpai found me and that's how things began." Sumireko nodded as Sanae continued to explain her situation. She noticed the term 'Dark Hour' used twice now, and she supposed that was what everyone else called that strange time at midnight. It was a catchier name than what she called it herself.

After just half an hour, the two finished discussing what they wanted to even though Sumireko thought it would’ve taken ages. In the first place, they mostly avoided what Sumireko actually wanted to know so that was why. Instead what they engaged in would be considered a casual conversation. Truth be told, Sumireko couldn't gauge how much Sanae enjoyed the talk as she watched the latter girl stood up and head for the door. It had been a terribly long time since Sumireko last sustained the so-called ‘casual conversation’ with a real person. It was a little much for her. But at the last moment, Sanae looked back at Sumireko as she stood by the door.

“I haven’t said it yet, but I’m sorry for hiding things from you. Those three days must have been very stressful for you.”

“...It was, yeah.” A part of Sumireko did hope that Sanae and everyone else would apologize to her for playing conspiracy, but it surprised her to actually hear it.

“I had reasons why I couldn’t tell you right away, even though it ended up putting you in danger. We’ll tell you everything, but I had resolved myself to come and apologize before that.” Sheepishly, Sanae scratched her head. “In the end, I couldn’t muster the courage to say so until right now though, haha...”

Sumireko turned her gaze to the ground. She wasn’t sure if she should forgive Sanae. The bad mood between them had been cleared but her first three days at the dorm were highly stressful. This fact didn’t change. Sumireko felt a tinge of a doubt but she couldn’t find it in herself to express it. Her gaze rose up to meet with Sanae’s again. “It’s fine, really.”

Sanae smiled in relief and nodded. “And... thank you for saving me.”

She bowed and then exited the room, leaving Sumireko alone. Sumireko’s gaze lingered on the doorway. For once, she felt content with herself – filled with pride, perhaps because she was able to save someone.

X-X-X

The next day, Sumireko was discharged. The release process passed by in a flash and she found herself standing outside the hospital with a fresh set of clothes on before she knew it. Sanae was kind enough to have brought over some of her possessions while she was unconscious. A change of clothes, her school uniform, music player, and laptop. Since the last one had a password lock on, she wasn’t worried that someone may have rummaged through its contents. She didn’t have time to use it during her stay anyway. It was still broad daylight, just before lunch and if Sumireko hurried she could easily make it to class and only miss out half a day. But she was not in the mood for school. Not with that promised meeting later today. “I won’t even be able to focus...”

“Then, skip it.”

To the side, Sumireko saw Renko was standing next to her, dressed in the same clothes as always, simple but stylish. No one was actually there, of course.

“You just got into an accident, they won’t complain. You’re not wearing your uniform yet anyway, so it’s not like people will suspect anything.”

“Sanae might be waiting for me at school though...” Sumireko voiced her doubt, but inside she did feel exactly the same thing as Renko.

“You’ll be back by the dorm at the end of the day anyway. And do you really trust her right now? Even if she apologized, she still seems suspicious to me.”

Renko sounded like she was concerned for Sumireko, which she did appreciate. She still felt a little hesitant about Sanae’s character and Renko verbalized that doubt perfectly.

“At least, I don’t trust her myself. I can’t quite place a finger on why though...”

“No, if you say so then I’ll trust you.” Sumireko nodded. “In that case, where should we go?”

“How about we just walk around for now? I hear physical activity can help a lot when you need to clear your mind and sort out things.”

Seeing Renko gesturing to the wide-reaching area around them with her arms made Sumireko giggle. “We can just talk, is what you’re saying.”

“You have some things you wanted to talk to me about anyway, don’t you?”

Sumireko saw Renko race ahead of her, and she was just beyond the corner of the street now. Sumireko ran to her. Within mere moments, Sumireko was already tired and panting, but she was fine with it. “Well, I was hoping I could’ve talked to you yesterday but I was too tired and could barely even move.”

“Let me guess. It’s about what Sanae told you about?”

Sumireko fell silent. Only her footsteps could be heard as the two kept walking down the streets unhindered. There was barely anyone loitering around at this time of day, and the ones that were didn’t pay attention to the two. That suited Sumireko just fine. The two continued to walk, passing rows of buildings without much care to the world.

“How do I say this… I’m just not entirely sure I want to hear what Sanae and the others have to say. I’m a little scared, about what I might learn this evening.” After a while, Sumireko finally opened up and continued the conversation.

“That’s not like you. Wouldn’t you rather know and regret than not know and regret?”

Sumireko looked cross at Renko, then the two resumed their walk.

“Well, we’ve been living with this ‘Dark Hour’ thing for most of our lives. I understand it’s a significant reveal for you.”

“It’s not just that. The fight at the rooftop, that was really dangerous. I can’t imagine myself participating in anything like that again...” Sumireko’s voice trailed off. When Renko didn’t immediately reply, Sumireko sighed and walked on. When the two found a white line on the asphalt road, Sumireko began to align her footsteps with it, with her arms spread out to balance herself. Renko in the meantime was content with just following her, looking at how Sumireko wobbled with amusement until she fell to the ground. Renko then walked to her and offered a hand.

“Admit it, you find it exciting, right?”

“Exciting?” Sumireko was then up and walking again.

“You awakened a very special power then. You even admitted to yourself that you felt proud to be able to save Sanae. Listen to me, Sumireko. You’re _special_.”

Special. That word echoed inside of Sumireko’s mind as she walked. The distinct shape of Paulownia Mall was now visible in the distant horizon. Renko turned around with a mischievous smile, yet Sumireko found herself wondering. Was the Renko she summoned on the rooftop the same as this one? 

Sumireko pushed the thought aside for now. She knew too little of that other Renko. The Renko by her side, however, looked like she was having the time of her life. Her excitement was infectious.

“Slowing time! Defeating monsters that look like they came out of a video game! How’s that not exciting? It’s like you’re the protagonist of some cheap fantasy light novel!”

“You’re right, but…” Sumireko stopped on her tracks. Even with all of her… Renko’s encouragement, she still felt reservation. “What if I lose an arm or two? What if I die from this?”

“Now that’s just an overreaction there. If you’re the protagonist, then obviously you can’t die!”

The two laughed together at Renko’s suggestion. It sounded stupid and there was no way reality would work like that. Sumireko’s worries dissipated bit by bit as her own voice continued to encourage her.

“This is the sort of dream you wanted, right? But you’re right to be a little concerned at least. We can’t fully trust Sanae and the dorm right now. All that I can say now for you, don’t let your guard down.”

“I can work with that.” Sumireko let out a sigh. Those last words brought her back to reality. “Why does everything have to be so confusing…?”

Renko had already disappeared by the time Sumireko spoke out. Sumireko couldn’t just have Renko say something when she herself didn’t know the answer to it. Without anywhere else in mind for her to go, Sumireko continued walking, deciding that she could use this time to relax a bit with a cup of coffee.

X-X-X

When Sumireko arrived back at the dorm in the evening, Sanae was there in the lounge. She looked angry.

“You skipped school, Usami-san.” The disappointed tone coming from Sanae of all people made Sumireko feel guilty.

“Um, well, yes, I did…” Sumireko scrambled to find something to say but ended up with just a sheepish admission. Something about Sanae’s calm tone made her really scary, Sumireko thought. Maybe a little bit scarier than the monster on the rooftop. Sanae continued to stare at Sumireko, ready to lecture her the moment she comes up with an excuse. “Well… I just didn’t feel like I could focus on school today. I’ll just go ask someone in class for notes for what I missed.”

“Um, you don’t have anyone you can ask though?” Sanae threw her a genuinely confused look. Sumireko decided she wasn’t going to answer that. After a while, Sanae softened.

“...Well, did you have fun at least?” She seemingly deciding to let Sumireko go for the time being. Sumireko felt that she wouldn’t be as lucky the next time this happened though.

“Maybe just a little?” Spending time together with Renko counted as fun, but otherwise, she wasn’t able to enjoy her time very much. Even trying to catch up on things she missed online for the days she was out of commission couldn’t be called fun when there was so much of it. “I haven’t been able to relax since morning though.”

“I see." It was hard to see what Sanae meant by that answer. "Anyway, if you’re ready, follow me.”

She led Sumireko to the fourth floor, through a large door to what looked like a meeting room that was considerably larger than she expected for the building. She had never taken a proper look so it wasn’t a familiar sight. What Sumireko found to be immediately intriguing was the presence of many complicated-looking devices, most strikingly a futuristic command board, complete with a large screen. A few people were already there. Mitsuru, Marisa, and Ikutsuki, although there were no signs of the dark-haired girl. No matter how Sumireko looked at it, this room was pretty much a gathering of amazing people, herself excluded. Even Sanae was amazing in her own little way, she thought to add. Marisa was chatting with Mitsuru about something before noticing Sumireko's arrival. Her arm was stuck in a cast, but with how much she moved it, Sumireko was unsure if it really was a bad injury or not.

“It’s good to see you again, Usami.” Once Sanae and Sumireko settled on their seats, Mitsuru began the session. “And I’m glad to see you’ve recovered well. Now please, have a seat.”

Unsure of how to interact with the senior exactly, Sumireko made an attempt at a polite smile as she accepted. Off to the side, Marisa stifled a laugh down that Mitsuru didn’t seem to notice.

“Now...Hakurei isn’t here but I believe we can go ahead, Chairman.”

“Indeed. Let’s get to the heart of the matter then.” Ikutsuki took his own seat opposite Sumireko. “Would you believe if I said that there are more than twenty-four hours in a single day?”

“Chairman...” Mitsuru stared at Ikutsuki for a moment, looking unamused at his question.

“Aha, of course. That should not even be a question to ask of you. You are aware of the existence of the Dark Hour already, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” Sumireko nodded. Sanae had told her the name already. She was going to have to get used to calling it that from now on. Her attention was locked towards both Ikutsuki and Mitsuru. So far, they were completely composed, in control of the situation. She couldn’t let her guard down.

“So, just to confirm, you do remember the first night you came here then, quite well in fact?” Of course, she remembered. She wouldn’t be as wary and cautious as she was if she didn’t remember what happened then. She elected to not answer, making her stance firm regarding this sort of pointless question. Seeing that Sumireko wouldn’t say another word about it, Ikutsuki continued, not showing any particular reaction.

“Generally, someone’s first experience with the Dark Hour involve dizziness and memory loss. It is fascinating that you are able to remember so much of that time.” Ikutsuki continued his explanation. Something was odd. Sumireko decided that this would be her prompt to speak up.

“What do you mean by the first experience, exactly?” Sumireko asked. She could feel Marisa and Sanae’s gaze lock on to her for some reason. “It’s not like that was my first time or anything.”

“...That wasn’t?” Marisa was the first to respond, surprised. Sumireko didn’t know how Sanae reacted, but Mitsuru and Ikutsuki retained their composure.

“You’re talking about that extra hour that happened every midnight, right? People turning into coffins, everything being painted with a green tint, and water turning into blood. Been seeing it since I was in elementary school.”

Silence fell. Sumireko noticed how she failed to get any sort of reaction from Mitsuru, although Ikutsuki now was looking at her with fascination. Marisa was definitely shaken by that reveal, while Sanae retained her composure on the outside, although saying that it didn't surprise her would be a lie. After a while, the one who broke the silence was Mitsuru herself.

“I see. It is not something to worry about.” Mitsuru returned her gaze to Sumireko. “It is a revelation, but it does not change our situation here.”

“And that does answer my curiosity. Thank you.” Ikutsuki gestured for Sanae to get him and Mitsuru refreshments before continuing. “I suppose we should be moving onto explaining things then. Let’s see...we’ll start from the basics. The Dark Hour is...”

Sumireko listened closely as Ikutsuki finally shed light on the mystery that had been plaguing her since ten years ago. The experience felt like a trance as information after information flowed freely into her mind. To summarize, the people in this dorm were a part of a group named Special Extracurricular Execution Squad or SEES for short; a secret squad of people with the potential to enter the Dark Hour and the ability to summon Persona to fight the Shadows lurking at that time. Shadows in the meantime were mysterious beings that roam the world during the Dark Hour and attack people who happened to be awake during it. He then explained to Sumireko about Evokers, the gun-like device Sumireko used on the roof. That was a tool to assist in summoning forth one’s Persona into the material world.

“Why do they look like guns?” Sumireko asked at one point.

“It makes it easier to focus your mind when you’re feeling the pressure of having a gun pointed at your head.” Ikutsuki’s nonchalant answer was lighthearted in tone despite the subject matter. “And it takes strong mental strength for someone to be able to pull the trigger. And according to Kirisame over there, it’s also quite ‘cool’. But I suspect the barrel of the gun would be smoking hot instead, heh.”

“...I see.” That last part, except the actual last part of that, explained everything. If one day, Sumireko mistook a real gun for her Evoker, she would know who to blame now. And if that was an attempt at a joke, Sumireko was just going to ignore it.

As Ikutsuki’s explanation continued, Sumireko was finding herself fully able to accept Renko’s words earlier. It was like discovering a long-lost truth, an esoteric piece of knowledge only the elite few had access to. It was as if she was now able to look behind the curtains that covered the world as she knew it. She was not just a part of the faceless crowd. Sumireko really was special. With each word from the chairman, Sumireko’s guard dropped, replaced with a childlike excitement.

“And that should be all.” Ikutsuki was finished. He gave Sumireko some time to process the information he just gave her before moving on. “Do you have any further questions?”

“How did the Dark Hour begin?” Sumireko voiced her first question. From the chairman’s explanation, it didn’t seem like something that was around from time immemorial, more like an unnatural phenomenon caused by something else.

“Hm… We don’t really know yet. The Dark Hour just came to be one day, somehow.”

“How do we get rid of it then?”

“That too, we’re still investigating.”

“Why do I have the potential?” Sumireko voiced this question with a bit more hesitation.

“Hmm, how do I say it… In general, those with some trauma have a higher likelihood of manifesting a Persona. Beyond that, it is a mystery to us too.”

“...I see. I have nothing else to ask.” The answer made sense and what she expected, but Sumireko would rather not think of it further. However, it made her glance at Sanae. Did she too harbor some sort of emotional trauma? That didn’t seem likely, and as much as she was aware that she shouldn’t pursue the topic, it made Sumireko feel just a tinge of morbid curiosity.

Mitsuru came forward and placed a small briefcase on the table in front of Sumireko and opened to reveal an Evoker, the same model as what Sumireko used during that battle. Its silvery surface reflected a certain weight that made it look dangerous. As Sumireko was mesmerized by the sight, Mitsuru was the one continuing to speak while Ikutsuki struggled with his sore throat.

“Now, we would like to ask you to join us. You have been quite magnificent during your first three days in showcasing your potential. It was right for us to take a gamble by inviting you here.”

Break.

“Wait.” Sumireko’s rhythm stopped. “ _Invitation?_ ”

“Ah, of course.” From Mitsuru’s reaction, Sumireko wondered whether it was a genuine slip or not. “I am aware of your online activities. In particular, we managed to come across your thread in that one foreign forum you participated in by chance. As the events you described there matched the Dark Hour, we decided to take a risk and reached out to your aunt to offer her to transfer you here into Gekkoukan, in exchange for paying for your education.”

Sumireko stared at Mitsuru in mild disbelief, stunned. Mitsuru took it as a sign for her to continue.

“We have set up surveillance cameras in your room, and the results of our observation of your first three days were satisfactory.” Mitsuru’s tone remained constant throughout it all, but Sumireko felt there was a hint of pride in her voice. “You showcased the potential that we needed, and perhaps even beyond. I believe that you will be an outstanding asset for us in SEES.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on for a second.” Sumireko attempted to interrupt her. “You saw… everything?”

“Please, do not misunderstand. We only took necessary measures for our sake, and yours. The bathrooms are of course, unbugged.” Mitsuru’s rebuttal was perfect. Sumireko didn’t have room to complain. The prospect of being monitored bothered Sumireko, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. In the first place, talking back to someone so influential was not something Sumireko could just do...

_“No, that’s not right.”_

Sumireko felt a hand pat her shoulder from behind. The world around her began to slow down. She could tell right away whose hand it was without even looking.

_“If you don’t like it, you have to object.”_

It was Renko that stood behind her now. There was no mistaking it.

_“Of course you feel bothered knowing someone put a camera in your room this entire time. You have the right to be offended by that. You have to voice your objections.”_

“I don’t know what to say though… I don’t have any arguments.” Sumireko's doubt was merely a hush to what Renko said. All along, she knew Renko's words were the truth. There was no reason to doubt her.

 _“It’s fine. Just repeat after me.”_

As if Renko guiding her before she disappeared, Sumireko felt something took her hand, allowing her to stand up. 

“My own good? What does that even mean?” The words took shape in Sumireko’s mind. The words Renko wanted her to say. The words she wanted to say. “Why do you get to decide that your surveillance would be for my own good? On what authority do you have to say that?”

“Hey uh... Usami, listen to me. This is-” Marisa spoke out before Mitsuru, but Sumireko dismissed her. There was no turning back from this now.

“You’re treating me like a lab animal for your own little experiment, and where does that lead to? You almost get me killed!” Sumireko's eyes were locked at Mitsuru’s, who remained unfaltering. “I demand an apology!”

“...I understand that you are highly bothered, Usami. But I assure you, there wasn’t anything strange in the records. Naturally, we’ll eras-”

“You took a look at them as well?! Isn’t this supposed to be a crime? Unlawful monitoring!” Truthfully, Sumireko wasn’t as angry as she sounded. She was just following the cues from Renko, but it was strangely satisfying to shout out like that.

“C-Come now, let’s calm down, all of us.” Sanae pitched in from the sides, but her meek attempt couldn’t defuse the situation. Her intrusion here only reminded Sumireko of something else though.

“While we’re at it, keeping all this hidden from me was unreasonable as well! I was attacked by a Shadow the night I came here. The fact that you saw me awake during this Dark Hour should’ve been more than enough to inform me. What were you people thinking?”

“I insist, Usami, that we have done nothing wrong. We did what we thought best for the situation at the time.” Mitsuru did not budge. “We have elected to keep this a secret from you because should you not show any signs of awakening your Persona, then we believed that it would do you more harm to know our secret. We would not doom you into a life of paranoia that you could do nothing about just because you’re curious, and we cannot risk you going out on your own during the Dark Hour either.” Mitsuru’s voice was firm and commanding. There was no hint of anger or agitation, but the tone held a sense of finality to it. “If you want to continue this charade, I will hear you out personally later.”

Sumireko thought to continue the argument further, but in the end, she relented. After her explosion of emotions, right now she saw no point in pushing the issue further even if she wasn’t satisfied with Mitsuru’s explanation. As irritated as she felt, she was more elated to be able to vent out so much than desiring a satisfactory answer anyway. Consequences and results be damned, she wanted those concerns voiced.

“Alright, let’s be calm now, everyone. Let us get to the main topic at hand.” Maintaining his positive tone, Ikutsuki decided to intervene, and Mitsuru backed away. She kept on a cool face without a hint of being bothered by Sumireko’s accusations at all. It was hard to get a read on her. Ikutsuki then gestured back to the open suitcase, returning everyone’s focus to it. The offer was still open, his gesture communicated that.

Without waiting, Sumireko reached out for it and held the pistol in her hand. It was heavy. Sumireko recalled the night of the rooftop fight clearly once she felt the cold touch of the handle. She felt it cooling her head down.

“You are free to decline, but we would be more than willing to accept you as a member of our SEES. It would be for your own protection as well. You, as someone who has awakened to the Potential, cannot run away from the Dark Hour.”

“Well…” Sumireko gripped the pistol harder. Renko’s voice in her heart had already faded away. Sumireko could feel it as if Renko had chosen to leave the decision entirely to herself. It was going to be dangerous, Sumireko was aware.

But at the same time, wouldn’t it also be exciting?

“I’ll join.”

The simple declaration had the rest of SEES surprised.

X-X-X

It felt like the meeting lasted far too long.

After Sumireko accepted, Mitsuru briefed her on some of the basic conducts she was expected to follow now that she was a part of SEES. It was mostly common sense, like how she was not supposed to carry her Evoker around or summon her Persona in broad daylight. Once that was done, they held a festive dinner that the group had apparently prepared beforehand. Marisa insisted they celebrate the addition of a new member, and Sanae was glad too. What would they do with the food if Sumireko refused? At some point Ikutsuki had to leave, so only the girls remained, talking to each other about inane things that Sumireko was not sure about how should she participate in. Not long after, Sumireko then decided to feign tiredness and excused herself from the other three. She wanted to be on her own for a little. Rather than to her room, Sumireko headed straight for the rooftop. It was where she fought the ‘Shadow’ earlier, and she wanted to see if any remains of the fight were still there.

Sumireko didn’t expect someone else to already be there when she pushed open the rooftop door. A ghastly young woman was leaning against the rails. An air too mature to be a high-schooler, seemingly detached from everything else around her. Sumireko recognized her this time, as the one who saved her back during the rooftop fight. And the one who saved her back then on her first night.

There was something about that which bothered Sumireko. She was hesitant to approach. Then the older girl turned her head around and their eyes met. To the side, Sumireko saw her holding a book.

“You’re…” Her voice was abrupt and short, not particularly pretty.

“I’m um, the new member of the team.” Although she felt a little reserved, Sumireko decided that at the very least she owed this person an introduction. “I’ll be looking forward to working with you from now on, senpai.”

“Hmm...” The black-haired woman turned back to the book she was reading. Feeling like she was not paying attention to what Sumireko said, she thought to just leave. The older woman then spoke.

“Usami Sumireko?”

“Ah, yes, that’s my name. I apologize for not saying it earlier.”

“I’m Hakurei Reimu.”

“I heard bits and pieces about you from Sanae and Kirisame-senpai. It’s nice to meet you.” Sumireko still hesitated to get close to her. This Hakurei Reimu was intimidating. Even if she was just sitting there, reading her book, her aura was imposing. And she wasn’t sure why but a similar vein of frustration that she felt with Mitsuru earlier surfaced just now.

“Do you read?”

Busy with her own thoughts, Sumireko barely registered when Reimu finally spoke again. When asked about this, Sumireko became a little flustered. She read enough for herself and Renko and Maribel, and she was even writing something. But she didn’t want to say all that.

“A little bit here and there.” Sumireko wondered if the response incited anything in Reimu, but she didn’t seem to pay it much thought. “By the way, what are you reading, senpai?”

Reimu held out the cover to Sumireko’s direction. The way her fingers gently gripped the book told Sumireko she read very often.

“Night of the Galactic Railroad…” Sumireko read out loud the cover. It was night time but the dim illumination of the surrounding street lights was sufficient. After doing so, Reimu withdrew her hand. “I haven’t read that, I think.”

“It’s not a bad book.”

“What is it about?” Something about the title made Sumireko feel nostalgic.

“I suppose, this is a book about the pursuit of happiness.” Reimu paused for a moment. “Perhaps, about self-sacrifice as well.”

“I see…that doesn’t sound like a book for me then.” It seemed like a children’s storybook earlier but now it felt a bit too dark for Sumireko’s tastes. Though, she was surprised to see Reimu eyeing her closely the next moment.

“What books do you like, then?”

Sumireko considered herself an expert on reading negative emotions, but she couldn’t tell. Was the girl in front of her feeling irritation?

“Uh… Horror and mystery. In particular, I like detective fiction the most.”

“Holmes?”

“Yeah, like him...but I’m more of a Christie person. You know, Marple and Poirot...?”

“I’m not familiar.”

A brief pause followed as Reimu continued to read and Sumireko stared upwards, to the sea of stars above. The mental image of a train traveling through the night sky was especially vivid in her head now. Sumireko wondered how the night sky would look if she rode on such a train.

As if to interrupt that thought, the girl in front of her continued. “I was late earlier, and Mitsuru sounded angry. I decided to skip it.”

“Is she always like…that?”

“She can be. She does have our best interests in mind though.” Silence followed for a while until Reimu once again broke it. “But she’s too stubborn for her own good.”

Sumireko couldn’t think of a comment to say to that, so she didn’t. She felt that her earlier anger became justified in some way, however. As Sumireko mulled over what Reimu said, the older woman continued.

“It took Sanae the whole morning before Mitsuru could admit that she was wrong. Without that big shadow attacking, Mitsuru would have told you the truth that weekend.”

“Wait, Sanae did that?” Sumireko had not expected that of the other girl. Inside she could feel her evaluation of Sanae rise by the moment. Even the doubt she felt for her earlier was becoming unreasonable.

“Sanae never became so angry. Hard to believe it was really her.” Reimu let out a small laugh. “Good of you two to get along well.”

Once again, the conversation fell into silence. So far Sumireko had managed to hold a conversation with Reimu, and she was more approachable than she seemed, but Sumireko’s reservation from earlier remained. This silence continued for the next few minutes. Reimu didn’t return to her book, and Sumireko couldn’t keep eye contact with her. It was not until Reimu got up that anything at all happened. She walked away, past the still Sumireko, before abruptly coming to a stop a step from the door.

“Don’t be too hard to Mitsuru. If you want, blame me for not standing up for you even though I saw you got attacked.”

Reimu did not turn around. Sumireko couldn’t see what expression the other girl had on right then, or whether she meant any of it.

“I shouldn’t have let my personal issues stop me from that.” It was hard discerning any sort of emotion from what Reimu just said. Her voice felt empty, hollow. “If you want to borrow this book, tell me. Later.”

Sumireko was left alone. With Reimu gone, Sumireko leaned to the railing that had been fixed since last time. Her mind was filled with what Reimu said. Sumireko wasn’t sure what she should think of her, but those words helped her to feel at ease. It was the closest she would get for an apology.

“Hey, Renko,” Sumireko said to no-one in particular. “Can you hear me?”

A response didn’t come.

Midnight was approaching. Perhaps she should return to her room soon.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're sorry that this took longer than expected. Update rate will be slower in the upcoming weeks, but we're hoping that we can deliver a new chapter by each Saturday again on June.


	8. Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist

X-X-X

### Chapter 6: Tonight Stars an Easygoing Egoist

Once Sumireko stepped outside the station, she found Sanae waiting near a bench, barely illuminated by the nearby streetlight and her own cell phone. Sumireko waved at her. “Sorry if I’m late.”

“It’s alright, you’re just in time.” Sanae’s smile was unfazed, as the two began walking towards Gekkoukan. “Did anything happen on the way here?”

It was a clear Sunday night. Sumireko did not check her phone, but she had a feeling it was about eleven and a half, maybe forty. The Dark Hour had yet to fall. "Nothing really, but what's with the people here? Some old man bumped into me earlier and he was all spaced out or something. Was he on drugs, I don't even know."

“Um… well, I’m glad you’re safe.” Sanae seemed to have something in mind but she didn’t dwell on it for longer. “Let’s go meet the others then, we’ll tell you what we’ll be doing tonight.”

When the silhouette of Gekkoukan made itself clear, Sumireko saw Reimu, Marisa and Mitsuru had made themselves comfortable standing just in front of the school gate. To a normal person, they would only appear to be a harmless gathering of girls, albeit at a suspicious time. And one of them had an arm cast on. When they spotted Sumireko and Sanae together, Marisa waved at them with her free arm. “Come on, Usami. You’re late! Next time we’re all walking here together.”

Sumireko decided to check her own watch. Eleven thirty. Her earlier estimate was off. She wasn’t good at keeping time. She sighed and then walked to join everyone else.

“Is there any reason we’re here?” Sumireko asked. It was just yesterday that she was ‘drafted’ into SEES. She wasn’t sure what the club was supposed to do outside of going around the city and eliminating Shadows they happened to come across. Meeting in front of the school just felt odd as well as potentially making their activity more suspicious than it should be.

“We will address that momentarily,” Mitsuru answered. “First of all, did you bring your Evoker with you?”

Sumireko dug out from her bag and showed everyone the gun-like device. The weight and coldness of the metallic surface still unnerved her. Mitsuru nodded in acknowledgment, and Sumireko returned it to her bag.

“As you are aware, Shadows are beings that roam during the Dark Hour, an innumerable amount of them in fact. They are ferocious, but they are not as intelligent as we are. They behave like beasts. And just like beasts, the Shadows also have nests, to put it simply.”

“And this nest happens to be our school…?”

“You guessed it!” Marisa laughed. “Then this should be easy. Once midnight hits, you’ll see the school turn into something amazing. Like, super amazing. It’s easier to show you than to explain really.”

Marisa’s cheerful attitude annoyed Sumireko a little. This was supposed to be a grim and serious situation. Where the exposition dumps would happen. Now it felt like just a school club activity. “If possible, I’d rather just hear what it is now and save the surprise for later. It’ll take time, won’t it?”

“Ahaha… You have a good point. Reimu.” Marisa turned to the dark-haired girl who Sumireko hadn’t seen since yesterday night. Rather than taking over, Reimu turned to Mitsuru with a clear expression of ‘this is a pain’ on her face. Mitsuru coughed and continued.

“...As I said, this place will become a Shadow’s nest. The only Shadow nest that we know of. Though, it’s more accurate to think of it as the place where Shadows come from.”

“So we’re going to destroy the school to kill all the Shadows?” Sumireko voiced the first thing that came to her mind.

Mitsuru ignored Marisa who seemed to be genuinely considering Sumireko’s suggestion. “It is not quite possible to ‘kill all the Shadows’, and destroying the school will not do much in that regard either. The reason we are here is to invade their nest and explore it, so we can find out more information about these Shadows.”

“Information such as why our school specifically?”

“Yes.” Mitsuru nodded. “I’m glad you’re catching on well today.”

Finally, Reimu spoke. “Don’t think too much. The _four_ of us will go down there and explore. With that said, for now, we will focus on getting you used to the feeling of fighting in the Dark Hour.” She didn’t seem to be too pleased to say the number of people participating.

“So you’re really agreeing with me, Reimu. I knew I could count on you!” Marisa patted Reimu’s back. That prompted Mitsuru to look at Marisa in disapproval.

“Your arm is still broken, Kirisame. I hold my position that you shouldn’t join.”

“Come on, I’m fine already.” The blonde made a show of moving her arms around. It was somewhat convincing if not for the fact that her arm cast made Marisa’s flailing more akin to a penguin’s. Sumireko held this thought to herself. ”It’s because we’re taking Sumi with us, we need to make sure there were enough people to back her up. With Reimu, me, and Sanae down there, we should be fine.”

“It has only been little more than a week since you were injured.”

“I need to get myself back in shape too, you know?” Marisa’s eyes pleaded to Mitsuru. She playfully begged Mitsuru with a child-like tone. “Pretty please, Mom. I’ll behave down there.”

“Kirisame, I told you to stop with that already.” Mitsuru was not amused.

“This time, I agree with Marisa.” Reimu intervened without even looking at Mitsuru. It reminded Sumireko of what the two talked about yesterday regarding MItsuru. “Today’s operation should not be extensive enough to make her presence a burden. As long as she does not do anything reckless, she should be fine.” Reimu fired a sharp glare at Marisa after that last sentence.

Ignoring what they were talking about, Sumireko noticed a detail from earlier and exclaimed.

“Wait, Kirijo-senpai isn’t coming with us?”

Mitsuru’s grimace the next moment told Sumireko that perhaps she should not have asked. Mitsuru coughed and her expression returned to the composed one that Sumireko was familiar with. “...It is as you’ve guessed. I cannot summon a Persona. The one leading you will be Hakurei. In the meantime, I will be providing outside support. It is the least that I can do since the ones facing the danger are you all.”

The silence that fell afterward made conversation impossible, so the five girls waited as time continued to tick down. Sumireko wanted to break the silence, but the rest seemed to be too focused on passing the time. It made her anxious. Even Sanae and Marisa remained silent.

“It’s almost time.” It was then that Reimu spoke. Sumireko brought up her watch. It was seconds away from midnight. Five, four, three, two, and one.

As her watch hit 00:00, everything froze. Sumireko saw the air darken, the same nauseous dark green color Sumireko was used to. The Dark Hour fell. Immediately, the ground below them trembled. Right before her, the sight of the entirety of Gekkoukan collapsed into the ground as the sickly green hue of the Dark Hour painted the scenery.

“Every night, our school sinks into the ground. Even though it physically shouldn’t possible and none of this makes any sense. For an hour every day, a chasm forms here.” Sumireko heard Reimu explain, but she was too mesmerized by the sight before her to grasp her words.

It happened suddenly. The entirety of the school disappeared from view so unceremoniously as if it was merely an illusion. No, that would be inaccurate. It was more as if the entirety of the school complex disappeared into a sinkhole.

The scale of the hole that replaced the school was absurd - no matter how Sumireko looked at it, it was far wider than the area the campus occupied. Structures of the school building were visible from the surface, forming a downward spiral that seemingly went on on towards the darkness below. Sumireko shifted her eyes away, overwhelmed by the sight, but then she looked at it once more and the physical layout of the helix has already changed by the second. Sumireko gulped. She couldn’t believe the sheer scale of it.

“What you see now is the great hole holding one of the few remaining mysteries in the world. This is it, the singularity point we call the Abyss."

X-X-X

Before Sumireko got over her initial hesitation, Reimu and Sanae stepped into the Abyss together and vanished into the darkness below. At the edge of the school gate, Sumireko couldn’t see into the hole at all, as if it was covered in some dark material like a lake or an ocean. Mitsuru promptly followed.

Sumireko gulped and looked to Marisa for encouragement. Marisa flashed her a thumbs up, which she abruptly turned upside down. Sumireko understood it to mean ‘hurry the hell up and jump down’, so hesitantly she leaped.

A moment later she landed on the ground as if the hole was no deeper than the far side of the swimming pool.

“Took you awhile.” Reimu's flat reply made Sumireko open her eyes. Once she saw her, Sumireko relaxed. From behind, she heard another person land and felt Marisa was there.

“Alright, we’re all here?” Marisa asked, and upon seeing everyone, nodded.

“This… Isn't this a classroom?” While Sumireko couldn’t see clearly due to the lack of lighting, she could identify that the room they were in resembled her classroom. Somehow, after jumping down a hole, Sumireko ended up in a room. It was pitch black outside the windows, the ceiling above was pitch black as well, and there was a strange device near the teacher's podium.

“This is the first layer of the Abyss, though there is only one other confirmed layer past this one.” As she explained, Reimu unzipped the little bag in her hand and drew from it a number of steel needles Sumireko recognized as the ones she used against the Shadow on the rooftop. “First, unpack your weapon. Even if this is a safe area, you don't want to be caught defenseless.”

Not far from Sumireko, Sanae had already unpacked her own, a traditional bow and set of steel arrowheads. Marisa also drew from her own duffel bag another weapon. A Western-styled one-handed sword, rather than something Japanese.

“Here.” Reimu held out a sports bag to Sumireko, who meekly accepted. When she opened it, she saw a disassembled stick and a sharp spearhead inside. “Spears can be effective with very little experience.”

“A-Alright then.” Sumireko’s voice shook, but inside she was excited. First the ability to slow down time, and now she was wielding a real weapon to go along with it. It felt more and more like a setup for an urban fantasy novel, one that Sumireko expected to enjoy. That was all the prompt she needed to hurriedly assemble her weapon.

When she finished, it was about 180 centimeters, and surprisingly light once properly assembled. Holding it, she felt a rush of both excitement and anxiety. She wasn't a stranger to daydreaming herself wielding a trusty weapon to save Maribel heroically, but actually holding the real article reminded her of the harm it could inflict. “Is this authentic?”

“Of course. And since you're not used to fighting yet, the range advantage it provides you should help.”

Sumireko glanced at Reimu’s choice of weaponry again. It came to mind that needles were rather unorthodox, not to mention they seemed impractical. Reimu ignored Sumireko’s questioning gaze. “Your Persona is still your primary means of defense here, but it is important to be able to fight them mundanely as well. Overusing your Persona is mentally draining.”

“What about Kirisame-senpai there then?” Sumireko pointed to the blonde’s arm cast.

“For today, the sword will be for dire situations only. I’ll be using my Persona unless the need comes.” With a single, smooth gesture, Marisa sheathed her sword and drew out her evoker from her belt. “Not like the Shadows we’re facing today will require anything more.”

Sumireko nodded and began practicing swinging her spear around. It moved more effortlessly than she thought, and Sumireko was overwhelmed by its velocity and momentum, knocking a few tables down by accident. Sanae giggled at the sight, before returning her attention to her own weapon, testing the bowstring.

After a little more practice, she felt confident enough that she wouldn't trip from swinging it. Sumireko looked to the three, and they all nodded. “We’re ready.”

“In that case, best of luck to you all. Stay safe.” Mitsuru interjected before retrieving something from the box she was carrying. “And before you go out, wear this.”

What Mitsuru was holding were four sets of an earphone-like device, not too different from common everyday earphones. The lack of cables was odd, and Bluetooth headphones weren’t that good in Sumireko’s opinion, but she put them on regardless. Once they were ready, the four girls approached the classroom door. Reimu pulled it open and they stepped into the hallway.

But, the moment they did so, a large mass suddenly leaped towards their direction. Before it reached Sumireko, Reimu’s butterfly maiden manifested and knocked it to the ground.

Amidst all this, Sumireko hadn’t moved an inch, too shaken to even react.

“Focus! We’re under attack!” Reimu roared as she stepped back and stabbed the black mass on the ground with a needle, eliminating it. Sumireko hadn’t gotten a good look at it yet and it had already dematerialized. “Sanae, stay behind. Marisa, fire away. Usami, pick up your weapon.”

“A-Ah, yes.” Sumireko realized that she had let go of her spear only now, and fumbled to pick it up from the marble floor. As she did so, Sumireko got a good look at the corridor she was in. The interior looked like the school’s but without the natural lighting. Instead, a hideous green glow filled the floor, which seemed to extend further than the original building would’ve. Just ahead of her, Reimu was fending off the Shadows by deftly dodging their attacks while Marisa dealt the finishing blows from further away.

In the meanwhile, Sanae had moved right next to Sumireko with bow and arrow in hand, aimed towards the other direction of the hall.

“The next one’s coming!”

This time, Sumireko was ready to see what she was fighting. A large black blob moving like a slime, not unlike what she fought during her first night in Iwatodai. Sumireko hesitated for a moment, recalling how badly the encounter went last time. Then she ran forward, spear in hand. She wasn’t going to let something so small make her lose her nerves. She took a step and thrust her spear forward, hoping that it would hit. But her grip was unsteady and she narrowly missed it with her thrust. The blob used this moment to prepare its appendages and slashed with its claws.

“Kinmamon!”

From behind Sumireko, a gust of wind was fired, and it tore the Shadow apart before its attack could land on her. Sumireko looked back and was reminded that Sanae was behind her the whole time. Next to Sanae was her Persona. A nude yet featureless statue of a woman entirely painted in black, its limbs tied to a large stone pillar with snakes instead of ropes. Its eyes were covered in blue ribbons, leaving her blind to the path before it. Perhaps ironically, one large eye was childishly scribbled over the ribbons. It looked no less than a goddess worshipped by an underground cult, though Sumireko was distracted by how it’s flowing green hair resembled Sanae. The Persona disappeared after it fired its spell, and Sanae rushed to her side.

“Sanae…”

‘It’s alright, Usami-san.” Sanae’s hand grasped Sumireko’s own, and only then did she notice that her own hands were shaking. It was then that it dawned on her that she was scared. “You’re not alone, Hakurei-senpai and everyone else will back you up. Let’s go and join them.”

“A-Alright.” Sumireko nodded. The two did so.

“Are you alright?” As they did so, Sumireko caught a glimpse of the butterfly maiden dematerializing as Reimu dusted herself. To the side, she also caught a glimpse of what Marisa’s Persona was. The little of what Sumireko could see of its appearance oddly reminded her of a broom.

“Y-Yes.” Sumireko nodded. But her hands were still shaking.

“Man, I wasn’t expecting an ambush right off the bat.” Despite the situation, Marisa’s tone was as relaxed as ever. After something so scary, Sumireko wondered how she could maintain her composure. “If it’s so close, Mitsuru should’ve been able to-”

_~”I can hear you perfectly fine, Kirisame.”~_

A voice came out from the headpiece on Sumireko’s ears, revealing its function as a way for Mitsuru to communicate with the rest of the cast. She wondered how Mitsuru was able to see the situation and what sort of assistance was she able to provide, but Marisa spoke first.

“You alright there, Mitsuru? No Shadow went into the safe zone?”

_~”You’re already well aware that they can’t. That aside, how is Usami doing?”~_

“...”, Sumireko wanted to respond but the words wouldn’t come out.

_~”...Perhaps that was too sudden an introduction. Can you still fight?”~_

Sumireko nodded, muttering a vague ‘yes’. Even though they should only be able to hear each other, Sumireko felt like she could see the person on the other side of the transmission smile lightly in response.

_~”Then, keep going. Follow Hakurei closely and have her explain the basics to you along the way. The Dark Hour is as its name implies, only an hour long, so make the best of this one hour you have.”~_

“Yes, Kirijo-senpai.” Sumireko’s agreement was weak. Then, as if in response to her lack of energy, Sumireko felt a strong hand pat her on the shoulder. Marisa had gotten close before she realized.

“Cheer up, Sumi. Everyone’s first time is always terrible. But trust me, soon you’ll get used in thrusting into Shadows.”

“Senpai, please don’t give Usami-san strange ideas, okay? But, more importantly...” Sanae commented off the side, then smiled. “It does take a while to get used to your weapon. If you’re not sure about being able to handle it yet, maybe it’s best to focus on your Persona instead for now.”

“Regarding your Persona…” Reimu chimed in. “Let us show you something as we go.”

The four of them continued on their way as Reimu explained about their Personas, specifically, about the spells that Personas possessed that they could use during battles. Sumireko learned that Renko was able to cast the ice-type spell Bufu, which she tested on a nearby door. Afterward, Reimu went to talk about Persona abilities. This was apparently what allowed Renko to slow down time back in the rooftop battle. Upon hearing that, Sumireko looked down to her Evoker in admiration. It felt like a strong power, no, it definitely was a strong power to have. It wasn’t as absolute as for say, being able to stop time, that would be cooler, but it was still special. Sumireko was happy with what she had. She then looked up at the others with expectation. 

“Then... ”

“Mine can fly.” Reimu declared. Sumireko remembered the night on the rooftop and how Reimu smoothly entered the scene. It felt plain as far as abilities go. She honestly expected Reimu’s ability to be more flashy. Not to mention, in a narrow corridor such as this, the ability seemed to be quite worthless.

“Well mine’s kinda simple, but I can create explosions!” Marisa proudly declared, but she saw Sanae and Reimu glaring at her and retracted her statement. “I-I mean, mine allows me to put more power into my spells. Power is everything, after all!” Marisa sounded quite proud of it. What she said did sound strong, but Sumireko felt that it wasn’t very special either. Firing a slightly stronger spell still couldn’t compare to slowing down time.

“As for mine...”, Sanae hesitated. Her expression changed from what she showed to Marisa earlier. “Mine doesn’t have one yet.”

_~“It may take a certain amount of time for one’s Persona to awake to their ability. It was the same case for Kirisame."~_

Sumireko nodded in response. She felt somewhat elated that her ability so far had been the most special of the bunch. Despite her own poor showing so far, it was comforting. Of course, their Personas were all good too, but they weren’t Renko.

“We’re still on the first floor.” Reimu’s words interrupted Sumireko’s fantasies. “We should at least get to the halfway point for today’s session.”

They all nodded and then progressed forward with Reimu at the very front. It was reassuring enough. Sumireko marched while holding her spear very close to herself. The deeper she went, the stranger everything began to look. The floor aesthetic that reminded her of their school became more twisted. The patterns slowly turned into alternating black and white tiles as they walked by, and strange misplaced objects littered the area – wooden doors on the floor and the ceiling, for example. Sumireko was tempted to open them, but Reimu didn’t seem to like the idea.

“There’s nothing inside. Let’s not waste time.”

Sumireko didn’t believe it at first and tried to open one. She was attacked by a Shadow coming out of the empty space. Immediately, Reimu handled it before it harmed her, and Mitsuru scolded her for it. Soon, the four of them stumbled upon a forking path, and Reimu contacted Mitsuru for direction.

_~”I have not yet been able to locate the stairs yet.”~_

Mitsuru’s voice was barely audible from the static interference. 

_~”However, the right turn leads to a dead end. Go to the left.”~_

“Roger.”

_~”...”~_

They followed her directions and ended in a corridor that seemed to extend far too long. They walked for minutes and minutes and still, it went on straight without diverging away.

“Hm, Sanae.” Marisa eventually spoke up, hoping to break the monotony. “You got yourself a boyfriend yet?”

Sumireko gulped. She didn’t expect a topic like that to be brought up here. She dreaded the possibility of being asked the same question.

“...Do you really have to ask something like that now, Senpai?” Sanae sighed.

“It would be weird if Miss Popular like you hadn’t gotten one yet, right? There’s no shortage of willing boys, I’d imagine.”

“None of those are really my type, though...” That was perhaps a safe answer. The tired tone in it made Sumireko wonder if Sanae was frustrated at her lack of a boyfriend or just on Marisa’s teasing. It did surprise Sumireko that she hadn’t gotten one yet though. “Hm, never mind me, how about Hakurei-senpai instead?”

This time Sumireko could’ve sworn she heard Marisa gulp.

“There’s no way Reimu could find a guy who can handle her!”

_~”I don’t think anyone would be able to handle her in the first place.”~_

Mitsuru’s words seemed to be followed by a sigh.

“I don’t think I ever see Hakurei-senpai interacting with any boys, actually,” Sanae added into the conversation. “Or really, even with anyone outside of SEES.”

“Hm, I wonder.” Reimu replied nonchalantly, seemingly ignoring the other three’s inquiry regarding her. Those words marked the end of this talk. Sumireko felt elated that she didn’t get asked about her own love life, but at the same time, she started to feel like she was being excluded from these conversations. She didn’t even get a chance to chime in. The topic was not interesting to her, but still. The group continued on their way, occasionally with Marisa or Sanae starting conversations between themselves or while dragging Reimu along.

They finally came across another Shadow. Unlike the black blobs they’ve faced before, this singular Shadow had a more concrete form. It was a single small hovering humanoid, its fly wings fluttering almost invisibly so. It wore a little green one-piece dress covered by metallic armor as the chest piece and gauntlets. Its head was obfuscated by a banquet of red petals growing out of it. Compared to the blob or the tentacled little girl Shadow on the rooftop, Sumireko thought that this one was cuter. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with it, but Marisa was quick to act and had already drawn her Evoker.

“Persona!”

The next moment, the Shadow was engulfed in flames. Before Marisa was her Persona, a floating broomstick. Instead of wood, the handle was made of bronze adorned by elaborate patterns. The tail of the broom was composed of fire that looked more like a painting than actual flames. Floating near its sides were two flaming metal wheels that spun violently. The tip of the bronze handle emitted out smoke as if it had just freshly fired off a bullet or a cannonball. A non-humanoid Persona was strange to see for Sumireko. Sanae’s arrow finished the Shadow off as the broom cannon disappeared.

_~’”Don’t lower your guard. There are several other Shadows approaching your position at this moment.”~_

“Hey, we’re not amateurs here!” Marisa complained.

“But you are the one who tends to lower your guard at important moments, Senpai.” Sanae didn’t waste the moment to take a jab at Marisa while giggling. Was she still annoyed about Marisa’s question earlier? “Even an amateur like me knows better than that.”

“Reimuuu, Kochiya is being mean again…” Marisa sulked as she approached Reimu, who looked like she did not want to have anything to do with this.

“Even Hakurei-senpai would agree with me about this. Right, Senpai?”

“You’re not the paragon of careful conduct either, Sanae.” Reimu’s words silenced off both Sanae and Marisa for the time being. Sumireko at first was worried that Marisa was genuinely hurt by Sanae’s words, but she bounced off it quite fast, so she probably was just playing along. Sumireko wondered whether this was something friends were supposed to do with each other. In the meantime, Marisa moved forward as if to act as a front liner, but Reimu gestured for her to stand behind, pointing at her arm cast.

“Speaking of amateurs, however,” Reimu spoke as she turned her attention to Sumireko. “You’re not too used to it yet, so you should watch us handle this fight. Learn from it.”

Sumireko nodded in response. She was still a bit shaken from earlier, and she wanted to see the others fight. It might inspire confidence and give her an idea as to the things she would need to take note of during battle. Sumireko inched closer and rested her back on the wall.

“Also, your spear, if you will.”

“Eh?” Sumireko was confused, but since she wasn’t fighting, she didn’t mind handing her weapon to Reimu without a second thought.

“Usually, Marisa serves on the front line, but since she’s not available for the task, I’ll make do.” Reimu twirled the spear around before getting herself into a stance. It was apparent that she was experienced with the weapon. In the meantime, Sanae and Marisa were chatting with each other on the side. For such a tense situation, the two didn’t seem to treat it with the gravity it required. Sumireko gripped her own Evoker behind them all, sincerely hoping that none of the Shadows would get past the others and attack her.

It didn’t take long before the Shadows started to appear.

“Another Maya huh? Mitsuru, how many Shadows are there?”

_~”Around eight or so, I’m confident with that figure. Should be nothing with the three of you.”~_

“Accidents can still happen even though.” Sanae took aim. The tone of her voice was different from what Sumireko was used to hearing. Even if Sumireko couldn’t see her expression right now, her voice had a feeling of eagerness that Sumireko felt didn’t fit the mental image of her character. “But I think I can make sure that doesn’t happen as long as there are arrows in my quiver.”

“A bit of confidence does help.” Reimu chimed in. Then they fell silent. The next moment, four Shadows leaped in from the dark and immediately an arrow flew in and pierced into one, stunning it momentarily.

“Nataku!” Marisa pulled the trigger and again the broom-like Persona appeared and blasted the target shot by Sanae with fire. It was reduced to ash before the other three Shadows completed their jump. Then a spear swung and stabbed another Shadow mid-air to the ground. Reimu had moved into the path of one and killed it before Sumireko’s eyes could properly follow. Then Reimu too pulled out her Evoker.

“Seimei!” The butterfly maiden formed in the distance and then a wave of light engulfed yet another Shadow just as it landed. This time, not even ash remained. In just a moment, four was reduced to one. The last Shadow was the furthest away, unable to do anything. Reimu, Marisa, and Sanae’s gazes locked onto it.

“We know there’s like three or four more blobs with you. Bring them on. We’ll beat them as well.” Marisa taunted it, not expecting it to understand her words.As if it was actually sentient, the blob paused, as if suddenly aware that it was now alone. The pool of black liquid shrunk, squirming. Before it could escape, a strong gust of wind forced it to crash into the wall, followed by an arrow that finished it off. Sumireko turned to see the source. Sanae’s Persona stood next to her before disappearing, while Sanae’s expression was ecstatic. Sumireko hadn’t paid much attention to what the other girl thought of fighting, but the way she smiled made her eagerness apparent, painting a different side to the girl Sumireko thought to only be meek and polite.

“Have this back. There should still be more Shadows coming, I trust you to participate in the next waves.” Reimu tossed the spear back at Sumireko, who struggled to catch it.

_~”Well done, all of you. If everyone is in good condition, we should proceed.”~_

“See? An injured arm doesn’t do anything at all! I’m doing just fine!” Marisa waved her arm cast around like a victory flag. “I TOLD you all so but you wouldn’t listen. Just look at that Agi earlier, that blast killed it good.”

Sanae giggled. “Oh, you’re doing just fine, senpai. And if a Shadow sneaks up behind you, maybe you can just hit it with the arm cast and it’ll go away.”

“Somehow, Sanae is really mean today…” Marisa sulked.

_~”You did deserve it, Kirisame.”~_

“Hmph. Let’s go then.” Reimu declared with a commanding voice, and the four continued walking. Sumireko could’ve sworn she saw the corner of the older girl’s mouth curve upwards slightly though. It didn't take long before they encountered the next batch of Shadows. Again Sumireko was relegated to the side as the three girls made short work of them. With Sanae’s fast and long-ranged support, Marisa’s strong blasts and Reimu’s highly skilled and efficient style of fighting, their formation was very strong and no Shadows were able to stand in their way. After they were done though, Marisa was panting, visibly struggling to continue walking.

“Used your Persona too much?” Reimu asked her before anyone else even noticed.

“Nataku’s the only way I can contribute after all.” Marisa shrugged, doing her best effort to look like she was fine.

“If you’re tired, don’t push yourself.”

“...I’m not tired! Just who do you think I am anyway?”

“Marisa.”

“Marisa-senpai.”

_~”Kirisame.”~_

“Wait, why did you all answer the same thing?! What’s that supposed to mean?”

For some reason, Sumireko was beginning to feel annoyed. A little ball of irritation formed in her chest and it wouldn’t go away. Even though she was wielding a weapon and a special power to fight against the Shadows, somehow, she didn’t feel as empowered or entertained as she thought she would be. Everyone else was enjoying their time here, but Sumireko barely got any action.

So when they encountered yet another group of Shadows, Sumireko rushed in, spear in hand.

“Wait, Usami-san?!” Sumireko ignored Sanae’s worried voice. It was another of the fairy-like Shadow like what Marisa’s Persona incinerated earlier. Compared to the blob-like Shadow, it shouldn’t pose much threat to her with its lack of clawed limbs. As Sumireko closed in, the Shadow noticed her presence. Sumireko thought that it was going to close in and attack her physically, but instead, it waved its tiny arms and a series of small, bright pellets formed around itself. It was a dense formation of light bullets, and Sumireko wasn’t sure whether they posed a danger or not. Nevertheless, her right hand went to grab her Evoker in response.

“Persona!” A gunshot rang and suddenly Sumireko’s head felt cleared, of thoughts and of troubles that plagued it. The irritation vanished, replaced by the sight of Renko appearing in front of her. Time slowed to a halt. Both the Shadows in front of her and the concerned voices of Sanae and Marisa behind. The static in her ear, that Sumireko assumed was Mitsuru scolding her, slowed as well. Sumireko felt disconnected from it all. They could no longer catch up to her.

Sumireko dodged the projectiles fired by the Shadows as easily as if they were static. Time continued to flow normally just a few seconds later, and the bullets continued on their trajectory. Sumireko could hear them hitting the corridor walls with enough force to cause cracks, but she didn’t care even as the Shadow prepared another volley. Sumireko shot herself again, and time slowed.

_~”Usami, there are-”~_

Sumireko didn’t wait for Mitsuru to finish her words before continuing. She stumbled a little as she ran forward to stab the Shadow. This time, she managed to hit it with a wild swing of her spear. And immediately, she pulled out her Evoker, hoping to use Renko to finish it off.

But holding the spear only with one hand as she swung it made her lose her balance, throwing her helplessly into the firing range of the Shadow’s projectiles.

“Usami-san!” Sanae’s voice suddenly rang out. It gave Sumireko enough clarity to get ahold of herself and she narrowly avoided a projectile before firing her Evoker again.

“Bufu!” The command of the spell was voiced without hesitation, and the Shadow finally fell as it was torn apart by a pillar of ice forming from underneath it. Sumireko felt elated about the situation and wished to celebrate, but as she realized the situation she was in, she couldn’t bring herself to move. Around her, two more of the fairy-like Shadows appeared, leaving Sumireko no chance of escaping on her own as they prepared to fire their projectiles.

“Tch!” An annoyed grunt was heard right before one of those Shadows were pierced by several needles, and the other was struck by an arrow. Sumireko went to reach her Evoker again, but she felt fatigue claim her, and her reflexes slowed down. And before she was able to act, sudden bolts of thunder rang and fried both Shadows at once.

Seeing the two Shadows dissipated into nothingness made Sumireko felt empty inside. It had just dawned on her that she might end up dead if the three hadn’t helped her just now. Right next to her, the Renko she had summoned had dissipated away, no longer needed. Now it was just Sumireko herself.

“What are you even thinking, Sumireko?” The first one to reach Sumireko was Marisa, struggling to even get close to her. Sumireko’s perception of time and distance perhaps was distorted by the rush of adrenaline she experienced. As she turned around, she saw how far she had moved since she rushed to give chase to the Shadows.

“...I don’t really know.”

“You could have gotten seriously injured.” Reimu’s voice was as monotone as always, but it still managed to convey the disappointment that Reimu felt.

“I know. I’m sorry.” Sumireko’s voice was powerless and filled with resignation. Her mind had zoomed out from the situation even as Mitsuru spoke.

_~”Alright. Enough for today. Both Usami and Kirisame are in no position to continue. We will talk about this tomorrow morning. Return outside.”~_

X-X-X

In the darkness of her room, Sumireko lay on her bed, unable to sleep. Her Evoker was right next on her side and she kept glancing at it. She was too tired to write or talk to Renko, and she was not even able to find it in herself to figure out more ideas for her story. She was supposed to be able to feel proud of herself for her activity in SEES. This was the sort of thing that she wanted, and even if most of the works were done by everyone else, she felt like she was contributing somewhat.

But after such a lackluster performance, how could she feel proud? Everyone was silent when they left the Abyss and returned to the dorm. Not even Sanae said good night to her. Everyone might be just too tired to talk, but Sumireko felt that they’re blaming her somehow. All that she wanted was to do at least as well as the others, but even joining this group still made her feel as if she was still a stranger to them. Seeing the four of them going off well with each other made Sumireko jealous.

The Evoker next to her was supposed to be a comforting presence, being a vessel for Renko’s presence, but while holding it and feeling its cold metal on her head was calming, today soured her about it somewhat. In the end, Sumireko grumbled for a bit more before falling into a sleep.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have decided to change a few things from Persona 3 proper for a better fit with what we have in mind regarding how they play in the story, and this includes Mitsuru's lack of Persona ability, as well as the form Tartarus takes.
> 
> Next chapter should come around Monday or Tuesday next week hopefully.


	9. Just a Dream I Had One Evening

X-X-X

### Chapter 7: Just a Dream I Had One Evening

“That concludes my report.”

Reimu finished speaking and sat down. Sanae and Marisa applauded with an impressed ‘ohh…’, which Sumireko imitated weakly. An annoyed glare from both Reimu and Mitsuru silenced them.

Silence followed in the dining room until Mitsuru stood up with a satisfied expression.

“This is a promising development. It should not take much longer until we are ready to explore the next layer.” She turned her attention to Sanae, then to Sumireko. Her gaze lingered before she returned to address everyone again. “By then, it is my hope that all members will have gained enough experience to not recklessly engage in combat. The next delve will be on Friday. Keep a close eye on your health until then.”

Everyone nodded, even the reluctant Sumireko.

“Well, you know, I can’t blame Sumi.” Unable to withstand the lack of conversation, Marisa chimed in. “Diving into danger is like the best part. But that was kinda dangerous for a first-timer...”

“Kirisame.” Mitsuru interrupted her, then turned to Sumireko. “Usami, what you did yesterday was far too reckless. It was fortunate that yesterday was a test run and it was only the first layer, but actions like that could jeopardize the fate of the entire team.”

“Yes...”

“We still need your power, especially as we explore the lower levels. But I cannot have you throwing the team in danger. You must not repeat what you’ve done yesterday.”

“Mitsuru.” Reimu interrupted her. “That is enough.”

“...Very well, Hakurei.”

“You will get used to it soon, Usami-san.” Sitting next to her was Sanae, looking a little concerned but also relieved the lecturing was over. “Soon you’ll be the cornerstone of the team, I’m sure...At least, more than I will be.”

"Hm?"

"In any case, let's eat." Sanae finished, ignoring Sumireko's inquiry. The famished Sumireko nodded, and then they all worked to prepare the dining table when it suddenly occurred to Sumireko this was the first time she would be eating with Reimu. She turned to look at the older girl. Her movements as she placed the plates were fast and practical, not quite ladylike but not brutish. Soon the arrangements were done and food were served on the table.

“Alright then, with all that out of the way let’s dig in!” Marisa shouted before turning excitedly to the food in front of her. What confused Sumireko as she observed that was that Marisa didn’t pick up her chopsticks. Sitting to her right was Reimu who picked up the chopsticks for the blonde, and it was Reimu who grabbed a mouthful of the food Marisa was eyeing, and then she held it to Marisa who happily ate it. The motion was akin to an owner giving food a pet, but it was certainly a fact that Reimu was feeding Marisa.

“If Reimu’ll feed me all the time, I wouldn’t mind at all.” Marisa exclaimed happily, which coincidentally answered the many questions forming in Sumireko’s head.

“It’s been almost two weeks, your arm should be fine by now. And yesterday you were waving it around like it was nothing.” In what Sumireko thought to be a very rare moment, Reimu was pouting. The cool, almost expression-less senior of hers was visibly annoyed.

“Well, you see, when I woke up this morning the pain got worse. And then earlier Mitsuru over there was shouting at me too like a meanie and now I can’t go to the next dive until I recover.”

“I didn’t know that,” Reimu replied flatly. Sumireko glanced sideways and saw Mitsuru giving the blonde a warning look.

“We’ve discussed this, Kirisame. My stance will not budge this time.”

“I agree with Kirijo-senpai.” Sanae chimed in.

Marisa turned to Sumireko, who could only give an awkward, reluctant attempt at a polite, noncommittal smile.

So Marisa turned to Reimu.

“Come on, Reimu, tell them I can go with everyone.”

“You should do your best to recover.”

“If I recovered, you wouldn’t be feeding me anymore...”

“I don’t want to.”

Marisa was clearly having the time of her life, in contrast to Reimu’s begrudging expression.

“Marisa…” Reimu relaxed her face. Then she shoved chopsticks into Marisa’s mouth. “Hurry and eat.”

They were certainly in their own world and Sumireko didn’t want to interrupt.

Today's breakfast was prepared by Sanae, which seemed to be a regular occurrence. Her coming from a family inn meant her cooking skills were more than serviceable. For some reason, it was ‘tradition’ for SEES members to report on the previous night’s events just before breakfast. When Sumireko asked why surprisingly it was Reimu who answered her.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, she said with a serious face that Sumireko couldn’t object to.

“By the way, Usami-san. You should be careful walking around.” Sanae brought up. “We haven’t informed you about the Lost yet, I believe.”

Sumireko’s blank look told Sanae everything she needed to know. “Um, remember what you saw last night? Around this city, you might run across people who seem… a little out there. Like they’re zombies or barely conscious. They’re called the Lost. They’re a victim of the Shadows. If you can’t protect yourself during the Dark Hour, you’ll end up like them.”

Sumireko gulped. She had thought Shadows only killed people. Knowing that was what they do to their victims made the danger sink in, even though the threat wasn’t as severe as death. “I’ll be careful then.”

“Now that I think about it,” Marisa heard the two and joined in. “There was an increase in the Lost recently, but they’ve abated now. I wonder why...”

“It is difficult to anticipate the Shadows’ activities with what information we currently have.” Sumireko was unused to seeing Mitsuru join them for breakfast. Even though what was served was just simple Japanese food, Mitsuru ate with the elegance of a _yamato nadeshiko_. “It is best we do not overspeculate for the time being. Once we explore more of the Abyss, we will surely discover why.”

“One could only hope so,” Reimu replied to her, and Sumireko couldn’t help but feel the black-haired girl’s response held a little bit of sarcasm.

X-X-X

Sumireko pushed the classroom door open and stepped in. Immediately, a few heads turned towards her. The sudden attention made Sumireko recoil, but she didn’t step away. The staring was only natural, she had been absent for over a week. She didn’t dare make eye contact with them and kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

The next moment, the sound of classroom chatter returned as if uninterrupted, which told Sumireko that her classmates stopped looking.

Sumireko took that as her prompt to walk in and head over to her seat at the window. She methodically slung her bag onto the back of her chair, pulled the chair out and sat down, placing her head and arms on the desk to rest in one swift, practiced motion that was certain to attract no attention whatsoever. Like this, she wouldn’t look out of place and wouldn’t have to risk making eye contact with someone. She could even pretend to sleep until classes began.

On that note, she had always wondered. Whenever someone was seen sleeping in class, with their head resting on their arms covering their faces. Were they actually sleeping? Sumireko pretended all the time but she couldn’t actually imagine sleeping in such an awkward position. And in the first place, there were far too many people around for her to feel comfortable dozing off. It only made sense to Sumireko that everyone else surely only pretended to sleep whenever they do in class.

“Ah, is that you, Usami-san?” Someone’s voice interrupted her train of thought.

Sumireko pretended to groggily push her head up and saw that it wasn’t Sanae but someone else standing in front of her. If she remembered correctly, this was one of the people Sanae was eating with that day, who introduced herself as…

“It’s me, Aya. Don’t tell me you forgot already.”

Sumireko tried her best to hide the frown forming on her face.

“...What is it, Aya-san?” Sumireko couldn’t fathom what someone could possibly need of her. In the background, she could see several of her classmates stealing glances at her direction. This Aya person was someone who attracted attention. Which was not ideal.

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you so I wanted to say hello.” Aya’s slightly hurt tone made Sumireko think her kneejerk reaction might’ve been unwarranted for a moment, but the other girl recovered.“And to ask where you’ve been. You were gone for like, a week and a half! You’re not the first but most people who go missing that long usually don’t come back for the rest of the semester.”

It had entirely slipped Sumireko’s mind that someone might actually asked her about what happened. “I... uh, well. Things happened. Nothing big. Really.” Then to the side, she whispered to herself, “It’s not like it’s your business in the first place.”

Aya blinked.

Sumireko thought on the inside, that she must’ve screwed up and whispered louder than she intended. Before she could think of a way to word her insincere apology, however, the girl in front of her laughed.

“Ahahahaha!” It briefly attracted the attention of the classmates surrounding them but Aya didn’t pay them any mind.

“Ah, um... uh?”

“Ah... that was refreshing. But listen. Rumors said that you and Kochiya got into an accident together.” Aya continued on as if she hadn’t heard a word, but the mischievous, impish little smile on her face was replaced with one about to laugh, betraying any attempt of hiding the fact that she did listen. “That sort of thing tends to make some buzz around the school, no? Kochiya is really popular, everyone seems to think she’s the perfect, little, sociable Sanae, and on top of that, you were gone alongside her That’s already social suicide. Everyone’ll think you’re that poor girl who missed out on her first two weeks of interactions. And with Kochiya showing up to school with bandages on, and with people knowing that you two lived in the same dorm, they would naturally imagine things a bit. Think some people even believed that you two got into a catfight and you almost killed her even. What do you think of that?”

Sumireko couldn’t tell what was going on inside the other girl’s head. But suddenly it was Sumireko who was given the chance to speak now.

“I don’t think anything of it, I think?” She couldn’t help her voice from sounding uncertain.

“Well, that would be fine too. Then it’s fine with you whatever people make up to speculate, right? Isn’t it better if you tell us, uh, them what really happened and settle all these rumors to rest?”

Sumireko had to admit, the rumors might get real annoying if left unchecked.

“... Well, I think, if people want to know what happened they should come and ask Sanae and me directly from the start.” Sumireko stole a glance towards Sanae’s direction, who was occupied by the usual trio from her clique. Now that she began to talk, Sumireko felt her tongue loosen and the words flowing without any attempt to self-moderate. “We got into a traffic accident. I was the less lucky one and had to be hospitalized for a while. There isn’t anything worth talking about or gossiping about in the first place. If that’s the sort of thing people like to speculate about then all I can say is they’re wasting what little time they have. Plus, I’m the victim here. If you or Sanae or anyone who has friends was hospitalized for a week then the first thing to happen when you come back is that a bunch of girls would crowd around you, congratulating you for getting discharged, trying to appear like they have a heart down there when they don’t. That’s a little strange, isn’t it? Where’s my crowd of cute blonde girls saying ‘Usami-san, congratulations for getting out of the hospital?’.”

“Pfft, is that what you’d like, Usami-san?” Aya stifled down a laugh and jotted down things on her notepad. Sumireko noticed she had it out at some point and glared at it with suspicion.

“... So, I said too much.”

“You probably did.” Aya pocketed her notes. “But it’s alright, no one around us was really listening, so that little speech of yours is safe with me. That said, I’m surprised you could even talk so much. Maybe during the hospital stay, they opened your throat up a little and didn’t close the wound after surgery.”

It was only now that Sumireko realized the depressed mood she initially felt upon entering class was lifted by a bit. Thoughts of being afraid of being isolated due to her week-long absence dissipated, not that she actually felt that in the first place or anything really. But, she couldn’t deny her mood had been lifted.

“Hm.” Aya nodded approvingly. “In any case, I’ll spread that around so people won’t make up new rumors.”

“...Thanks.” The more Sumireko looked at her, the less she understood. Why would someone be doing her a favor like this, she wondered.

X-X-X

When the lunch bell rang, Sumireko glanced to her side. Sanae was doing exercises from their math textbook while occasionally looking at the chalkboard with a pale and tired expression. She was a little tired, Sumireko inferred. But not as much as Sumireko herself. Within the past few hours, none of what was taught in class entered Sumireko’s head. Being a week behind everyone else was far more difficult than Sumireko had anticipated.

“As expected of an elite school.” Letting out a sigh, Sumireko decided to go eat and not think of it further.

At the cafeteria, Sumireko saw it was very crowded. Unlike normal schools where most students ate in their classrooms, Gekkoukan offered a cafeteria and allowed you to do either, which allowed said cafeteria to be smaller than it needed to be to house everyone. That meant it became packed very easily. That wasn’t very convenient for her.

Sumireko wasted no time in buying some cream bread and then went straight to the rooftop. Despite popular belief, the school rooftop was not a convenient place to hang out and relax. The sun was often unbearable up here, and it was rarely maintained. Thus, it was perfect for Sumireko who wanted to have some peace of mind.

And luckily for her, nobody was there when she arrived, not even Reimu. She went to the bench closest to the edge and sat down.

It was then that she came to a realization.

“Huh. Outside of SEES, that was the first time I held such a long conversation with someone here.” She said to herself. In the first place, Sumireko has attempted to do so only a handful of times, all ending in failure. In fact, that was almost certainly why Sumireko felt that despite her confusion, she was in a good mood.

“Heh, when you’re part of something more supernatural, mundane things like social skills become less important. Maybe that’s why.” Sumireko concluded, absolutely certain that she didn’t have to ponder on it any longer. Then, she pulled out a notebook that she had been hiding under her vest.

“Enough of that. At least a thousand words in for today. I’ve been neglecting you for too long, Merry.”

Continuing from last time, the scene that Sumireko was supposed to focus on now was the time Renko finally told Maribel about the discoveries she had made while the other girl was hospitalized. Sumireko thought it’d be ideal if Merry stayed at Renko’s family home in Tokyo for the duration of Golden Week, and thus the backdrop of this particular scene would be Renko’s room, where Merry would talk to her after a bath.

Preferably a long conversation. That would be ideal. Sumireko wanted to write Renko talking a lot.

Sumireko wrote and wrote on as the scenes formed inside her mind. What the two would talk about before going about with the murder case, Merry’s appearance at the time, what Renko was currently doing, Merry’s words...

But before long, Sumireko had found herself stuck with the scene. She couldn’t figure out how Maribel would act here. She couldn’t grasp her character clearly in what she had written. Rather than a living, breathing individual, right now she felt more like a hole shaped like a person.

“Hm…”

Maribel was supposed to be a more passive, composed person. A bit meek perhaps when seen by others, but when she’s with Renko… Right, she would reveal that she was a bit of an airhead that gets excited quite easily. That was the Maribel that belonged only to Renko. If the two were talking about the JOKER killings, then Maribel should be the one that clung really hard to the idea that it was caused by something supernatural, while Renko would choose to stubbornly believe that it was caused by mundane serial killer, which of course was the cooler statement for someone like Renko would make.

Even though, Sumireko liked Maribel’s reasoning better.

“Wouldn’t that be a contradiction, though…?”

Sumireko stared at what she had written so far. Of course, she had always been planning for the answer to the mystery to be supernatural in nature, making Maribel the one in the right. But that would mean Renko could be wrong. Of course, that couldn’t happen. Renko was infallible. Her logic would always be sound, and she would always be right. That’s the sort of person she was supposed to be, an ideal. Her conceding to Maribel that the mundane explanation for the killings was wrong would be an impurity that must be rejected.

But, was it really what Renko would want, though?

Sumireko continued to write. While she could just ask Renko directly about the answer, Sumireko felt that if she wanted to be like Renko, she should be able to at least figure out what Renko really wants on her own. As her pen moved, words expressing Renko’s thoughts and feelings on the supernatural flowed. Renko was a composed individual, and she was not spiteful either, so Sumireko couldn’t just write it as something too obvious. Even so, Sumireko wanted to make Renko sound as if her words were laced with disgust about the topic. Maybe, a bit overbearingly so at points.

It should be fine. After all, Renko was just in denial.

Renko would be someone that always yearned for the supernatural. The mental image of Renko as a child, experiencing her first supernatural phenomenon, it fully unfolded inside Sumireko’s head. She yearned for it, wanted to experience more of it, learned a lot about it, but in the end, she ended up doing a 180 degrees turn and shunned her own interest.

And then, she met Maribel. A closed-off looking but eccentric foreign girl, with a keen interest in the supernatural. She was a perfect fit with Renko. From personality to appearance to interest, Sumireko designed Maribel to be her perfect partner. They were more than just close friends, who shared their passion with each other all the time. So of course, it would be natural that at one point, Maribel would help Renko realize that she was always fond of the supernatural, remembering the love she had from the time she was still a young girl.

In the end, Sumireko was satisfied with her reasoning. Renko would not ever be in the wrong if the one time she was wrong she didn’t even believe in her own words in the first place. And just with that, the chapter she wrote was finished.

“Oh huh, you’re done already?” Renko materialized, looking at her writing with an amused expression. “It’s a lot shorter than usual. I know you can do better. You can write five thousand words of nothing but us and Merry talking together with your eyes closed.”

“I’m just a bit stuck, that’s all.” Sumireko nodded at Renko’s words. She was right - for a chapter involving both Renko and Maribel, what she had right now was noticeably short, and Sumireko didn’t feel the drive to fill it with more fluff than it already had. Arguably, the entire chapter was nothing but fluff, but it was all that she could write at this moment. She was planning to write some plot too originally, but right now she was stuck on what she would include as a plot.

“You know…” Renko examined the writing more, gesturing to ask for help in turning the pages around so she could read it. “You’ve always said that my parents always cared about me and I maintained a good relationship with them, but you never actually showed them on-screen, no?”

“I want to do that, Renko. Trust me, I really want to.” Sumireko grumbled, closing the notebook before Renko could read more of it. “I just don’t know what to write there, that’s all. I’ll figure it out one day, probably.”

“Couldn’t you just model it using your relation with your aunt and uncle?”

“Come on. They’re nothing like what yours is supposed to be.” Sumireko was never close with her guardians, and they mostly only take care of her since they thought of her as their responsibility, rather than due to any genuine feelings. They weren’t abusive or anything, but they were distant. “It’s not too important, anyway. What both of us and other people would be interested in is your relationship with Merry.”

“Then, why don’t you just add more of her instead?”

“Because…” Sumireko paused before deciding to shift the topic away, which was responded by a frown on Renko’s end. “That reminds me, I’ve been thinking about it lately. I think I figured out what sort of villainous figure should we have in your story.”

“Hm?” Renko was still frowning from Sumireko’s attempt to shift the topic away from Maribel, but she was visibly interested in what Sumireko had in mind.

“Remember that irritating little girl that appeared in my room on that night?”

“Have you really told me about her? Which one were you talking about here?”

“Short, blonde, with a permanent smug expression plastered on her face while looking disturbingly like Merry? That one who called herself Yukari Yakumo? But yeah, I’m thinking of basing the villain in my story using her.” Sumireko was still not in the right mindset to brainstorm that much more now, but remembering about her annoyance at Yukari during the only time Sumireko interacted with her, somehow made her spirited in pursuing this topic.

“Come on, you want us to beat up a little girl?”

“No no, listen to my brilliant idea.” Sumireko stood up. “I’ll just make her significantly taller. Like, think about those foreign fashion models! Then I’ll make her have one impressive, intimidating figure to her. She will talk in riddles, and you’ll want to punch her face whenever she opens her mouth! Wouldn’t that make a great villain? Hey, what do you think, Renko?”

“I think…” Renko paused to think, but before she could give an answer, a faint voice disrupted their conversation.

“A-ah! Someone’s here before me again...”

Renko promptly disappeared as a stranger disrupted the peace they had. Sumireko turned around to see who came to the rooftop so close to the end of the lunch break and saw a girl standing near the entrance door of the rooftop. The girl was visibly surprised to see Sumireko, and since she was holding a lunch box, Sumireko wondered if she was another routine rooftop dweller like Reimu. Sumireko was going to complain about being interrupted, but her discussion with Renko earlier eased her mood enough that she didn’t feel like she would immediately lash out. Sumireko put her notebook back into her vest before walking away.

“Sorry for disturbing you.” The girl apologized as she saw Sumireko turning to leave.

“No, it’s fine.” As Sumireko went closer to the girl, she recalled that this girl was her classmate. If Sumireko was not mistaken, this girl sat right behind Sanae. “I was just about done anyway.”

“I see...” The girl still didn’t move. Sumireko paused, unsure of what to do. She could just immediately leave as usual, but at the same time, she was not used to having the initiative in a conversation.

“...This rooftop is a nice place.”

“Yes, I like it here.” The girl seemed to be unsure as well, but she responded. “I don’t come here that often though. Usually, there’s this really scary senior haunting this place.”

Sumireko couldn’t hold her giggle. The girl surely was talking about Reimu. Silence followed once more afterward. They stood there awkwardly even as the bell for the end of lunch break rang in the background, unsure about how to continue their conversation.

“Um, you are Usami, right?” After a while, the girl finally prompted. “I heard from Aya-san earlier that you got into an accident.”

“It’s not that big of a deal, really,” Sumireko answered the girl, but inside she was surprised that Aya had already spread the news this fast. It was scary, actually. Maybe Sumireko was lucky that she ended up on her good side.

“Are you going to be fine?” The girl continued. “You missed a lot of classes and homework, after all.”

“I hope so.” Sumireko attempted to sound confident as if she got the situation under control, but her voice cracked a little at the end. She did raise a good point though. Maybe Sumireko should actually try catching up to everything she missed. Her mind instinctively went to Sanae.

“If you want to, you can-”

“I’ll be fine, really.”

Sumireko turned around from the girl and went towards the stairs as to not bother the girl more. Aya was one thing, but talking to a stranger this much had become more and more awkward for her. The girl seemed to be intent on skipping class anyway, and Sumireko didn’t want to disturb her alone time any longer. Once Sumireko thought that she was out of the girl’s hearing range though, Sumireko said one last thing to her.

“Uh...actually... thank you for reminding me about it.”

X-X-X

Once the bell rang to end classes for the day, Sumireko packed up without even waiting for the teacher to leave. Her first day back was as exhausting as she expected it to be. It made her want to return home very quickly. She looked to the side.

“Sana-”

Sanae was gone. Sumireko went outside of the class and saw that Sanae was being dragged away by an eager-looking brown-haired girl wearing a pink sweater jacket.

“Hmph, alright then.” With Sanae occupied, Sumireko decided to walk home alone. Thinking about it, perhaps Sanae was busy with her club. That thought brought shivers to Sumireko, who really hoped that she could just avoid these sports clubs entirely. Putting that aside, she decided that she could ask Sanae about catching up later, and for now she would just get some rest since last night still really tired her out.

But instead, Sumireko found herself taking a detour to the Paulownia Mall.

“I shouldn’t make it a habit but I want some coffee. Today’s been a headache, you know?”

Sumireko felt like saying that out loud as she walked alone as if to justify her choice to someone. She arrived at the same cafe as before and pushed her way in, making the familiar doorbell ring. At a glance, the store was very packed but Sumireko saw an empty table for two and was guided there by the waitress.

While this was the third time she went here, it was the first time that Sumireko actually bothered to read the menu properly, and she noticed the cafe’s specialty blend amongst what was being offered. The so-called Pheromone Coffee, apparently guaranteed to raise one’s charms up. The menu sheet advertised that if one were to drink a cup of it every day, they would surely become popular. ‘Works especially well for girls!’ or so the label said.

“This sounds really interesting- no, not at all. There’s no way it would work as easily as that, anyway.”

Sumireko was quick to deny her curiosity about the blend. Someone like Sumireko would obviously not have any interest in finding shortcuts to be more socially desirable, definitely not. That was what she kept repeating in her head anyway, but her eyes were locked on the blend’s description as those thoughts continued. When the waitress finally came again to take her order, Sumireko had given in, even though she claimed that she was just curious about it. Nothing more, nothing less.

After she ordered, Sumireko took out a book from her bag. Ever since coming to Gekkoukan, she hadn’t a lot of opportunities to just sit down and read. In the first place she would prioritize writing over reading, but since she already fulfilled her daily quota, Sumireko decided it would be fine to get some reading done at least.

“Excuse me, but do you mind if I join you?”

Sumireko’s thoughts were interrupted by a female voice. Standing across her was a blue-haired woman in a typical office lady outfit, gesturing to the empty seat in front of Sumireko. She had a mature, friendly smile.

Sumireko was confused at first. Was the effect of the Pheromone Coffee already active? She hadn’t even drunk it yet! If it worked this well, this cafe would be an occult phenomenon even more mind-boggling than the Dark Hour.

However, before she freaked out further, Sumireko looked around the cafe and realized that the cafe was just really full at the time, and the woman didn't manage to find a seat yet. Looking a bit flustered, Sumireko nodded at the woman, who sat down right across her with a happy expression. Sumireko didn’t have the guts to refuse her and she wanted to complain that she hadn’t even begun reading her new book, though inside she felt oddly pleased with this development. As the office lady made her order, Sumireko attempted to return to her book as to not disrupt the office lady, but just as she went over the first pages, the office lady interrupted her again.

“Is that ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’, by any chance?”

Sumireko was surprised. She went silent for a few moments, trying to figure out how to best respond to this situation.

“Ah, yes. I was...recommended this book by a friend.” Never mind the fact that said friend was just Maribel, who was a mystery fiction nut or so her backstory went.

“Hmmm.” The lady hummed in interest but didn’t inquire any further.

What was with people today? Suddenly they’ve become more talkative, Sumireko thought. Aya earlier today, a literal stranger on the rooftop, and now someone who she didn’t even share a class with. Sumireko usually would've just ignored this sort of attempt to start a conversation, but she was curious how far things could go. “Do you...read a lot?”

“A little here and there.” The woman unexpectedly gave a sheepish smile accompanying her teasing tone. “So, I suppose you like Christie?”

“Yeah, I guess. I usually don't like Poirot much, but Marple stories are always a favorite of mine, such as 'A Murder is Announced' .” Sumireko answered her the best she could. She still was feeling awkward, but with the topic being something she actually cared about, she started to loosen up.

“It’s hard to find anyone nowadays, much less a high schooler, who reads foreign literature outside of what's required in school.” The office lady continued, her gaze on the book Sumireko was holding. “Back then, I read quite a bit since it made me appear more mature.”

“I don't think I read that much, but I primarily like horror and mystery, and perhaps, some thriller too.” It was surprising how easy it was to open up a little to someone sharing the same interest.

“Hmm, I’m not sure what to recommend for horror, but I can recommend some more Christie.” The office lady paused, thinking about something. “I became a little interested in her works during high school, so I’ve read a good number of her works. How about ‘The Secret Adversary’, have you read that? It’s quite different from the rest of her works, but it is still a quality read.”

“I haven’t actually. Not a lot of time these days.” Sumireko put her book down and noted the title on a piece of paper. It was at this moment that the waitress came and served their orders. The lady looked at her own cup of coffee steaming just slightly, and Sumireko noticed a hint of exhaustion.

“Free time, huh… I used to have lots of those too, back when I was alone in high school.” Then she turned up to look at Sumireko. “I won’t pry since that’s rude, but as someone who went through high school, allow me to offer some advice. Treat it as an old lady's rambling, if you may. Value your time well.”

Without overt emphasis, she spoke those words. Sumireko did not feel an air of arrogance that often came with age and seniority. Instead, there was regret and a longing for those days. In a way, Sumireko could understand.

“You’re not that old yet.” Sumireko blurted out without thinking. The office lady’s face turned blank for a moment. “Ah. That was uh…”

The office lady giggled. She seemed genuinely happy to receive Sumireko’s blunt opinion. For a moment, Sumireko thought she perceived tears in her eyes. “You’re right, that was presumptuous of me. Then, as your senior, let that be your advice.”

The two spent the rest of their time in silence as the office lady gave Sumireko some time to think about what she just said. In the end, the older woman stood up first and paid the bill for both of them despite Sumireko's objection. Before she could leave, Sumireko stood and called out to her.

“Uh… what’s your name?”

“Well...” She paused for a moment. “My name is Ruri, though I'd like if we meet again for you to call me Ruri-nee.” Letting out a small laugh, she left the front door of the cafe. Sumireko soon packed up as well and left.

“I really don’t get it, Renko,” Sumireko muttered to herself as she walked home. When she saw that no answer came, Sumireko merely shrugged. It’s not something that Renko would need to weigh in on in the first place. Then, with her head lifted higher than before, she continued on.

Once she got home, she would write just a bit more.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your warm reception so far. This chapter we're having a more relaxed tone for once after Sumireko messed up in the previous chapter. Even Sumireko deserves a break sometimes after all.
> 
> I will be busy for the upcoming week, so Chapter 8 might come a bit later than usual. In the meantime though, expect a new Intermission chapter to come by this weekend.


	10. Intermission: Our Supernatural History

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this one onward, all intermissions will focus on excerpts of Sumireko's writing, starring Renko Usami and written using 1st person perspective.
> 
> Hopefully the perspective shift is not jarring.

X-X-X

### Intermission 2: Our Supernatural History

I sat in one corner of a traditional Japanese-styled room, with tatami mats lining the floor and a very open architecture that let the wind in easily. It was my room. Most people always thought that I would settle for something more modern or Western in style, but this sort of traditional arrangement was more to my liking. It was comfortable. On the other end of the room were discarded garments on the ground, purple and frilly. Those were Maribel’s.

I could hear running water from the bathroom in my room, Maribel was currently bathing and I was waiting for her outside.

Once we met up at the hospital earlier, I was glad to see she hadn’t changed at all since the last time we met. Still the same energetic, airheaded and eccentric Maribel, with her long, purple antique dress, blonde and long hair, and a body and skin perfectly sculpted like a porcelain doll. She was truly an adorable little doll.

“I’m done.” The bath door opened and Merry stepped out covered in a towel. It took quite the effort to not steal glances towards her. “It feels so nice, being able to take a real bath again. Can I borrow your clothes for now?”

“It’s fine, just use them as you like.” My gaze was locked to the ceiling while Maribel got dressed. As I waited, I decided to start a light conversation with her.

“Two months just for scratch wounds? They’re trying to rip you off, Merry.”

“It’s not that bad, Renko...”

“How is it not bad? They’re forcing you to pay extra for this nonsense too, right? Don’t be afraid, Merry. I’ll sue them if I have to!”

Maribel chose to stay with me at my parent’s house in Tokyo until the end of Golden Week. I was happy that she was staying over, but that would remind me that she had to get hospitalized in the first place. The irritation that welled up in my chest leaked into my words even when this was supposed to just be small talk. As always, Maribel ended up trying to calm me down.

“From what they said, my wound was infected with something strange. I don’t feel anything weird from it, but whatever it is, it seems to be dangerous enough that the doctors had to quarantine me.”

“That still sounds suspicious. I’ll definitely look into this later.” My word softened, but the sentiment remained.

“It’s fine, Renko. Really.”

As our conversation went on, my anger dissipated, replaced with a feeling of elation that I was able to talk to Maribel again like this. Usually, we would drink and party together to celebrate, but neither Maribel nor I were in the mood for alcohol. It was fine with me. Just spending time together was enough.

“So, Renko, you said you finally had a breakthrough about that rumor case you’re looking into?”

“Oh, right yeah. Give me a bit, I’ll get my notes.”

In the midst of this celebration, I almost forgot our objective. I grabbed the notebook from my bag and promptly recounted the events of yesterday night. How I managed to get the information about the ritual with a bit of persuasion, all that.

“I see, that certainly is an intricate ritual…” Maribel nodded along as I finished my explanation of the discovery I made recently. I almost forgot about it, the case didn’t come to my mind since I was too busy enjoying my time with Maribel.

“Keep in mind that I can’t be sure that it’s a hundred percent correct since that man was really drunk. But I doubt he lied.”

Attempting to summarize the affair highlighted just how ridiculous the entire thing was to me at least. As usual, Maribel listened to everything I said with close interest. Seeing her, I couldn’t help but wonder. Did she actually believe that this site was for real?

“When are we going to try out the site then?” Maribel confirmed my suspicion almost immediately after.

“It’s a curse-based site Merry, who are you going to curse? Not that it’d actually work…”

“I don’t know, maybe you?”

We laughed. Maribel was normally a quiet person, but only when she’s talking to me was she open and playful. This Maribel only existed for me and no one else.

“Actually, that’s not a bad idea.” I was the first one to stop laughing. Something came up to my mind. “If I’m the one using it, I doubt the murderer would fulfill my request, but if you use me as bait, we could set up a trap to catch them when they least expect it...”

“No, stop there Renko. Of course you’d take it seriously. It’s a joke. Don’t actually do it.”

“C’mon, Merry. Think about it a little, it’s feasible.”

“Hah… Maybe I’ll actually write your name and get it done with after all.” Maribel continued to giggle. The situation here made it hard not to be carried away by her lightheartedness.

“Why do I have a feeling you weren’t joking there though?”

“I wonder why…” As she said that, Maribel took a look at my current expression and broke into laughter. Such a sudden reaction surprised me at first, but it ended up helping me to loosen up. Her infectious joy led me to laugh as well. Maribel was so beautiful when she was happy like this. Who wouldn’t be charmed and carried away when they look at her being like this?

But no, nobody else should. This Maribel was only for me.

I stopped laughing. Maribel soon stopped too and looked concerned at my change in mood. Shifting the topic away, I reminded her that dinner probably had been served downstairs, and I excused myself to talk to my parents.

“But your parents are away, right?”

“...Oh. Yeah, you’re right. In that case, I’ll get us something to eat, so wait warmly for it.”

X-X-X

“You still think that a serial killer is behind all of this even now, huh…?” Maribel’s earlier jovial expression had disappeared by the time the two of us were eating dinner - which mostly consisted of reheated food, but she didn’t mind it in the least. Her voice showed that she was serious now as the topic demanded it.

“Anything wrong with that? You sound like you’re very disappointed, Merry.”

“Isn’t trying to explain it all with such a mundane answer like a serial killer only making it more complicated?”

“Here we go again…”

I didn’t dislike Maribel’s tendency to become excited over the prospect of the occult actually being real. At least she’s not one of those new-age spiritual believers that saw evil conspiracies behind everything or whatever, just an enthusiast of the mysterious. Of course, I would also categorize myself as such, even if my interest in that topic was solely to shed light upon and explain them within the rationale of the actual, physical world. The world already has well-defined boundaries, and yet somehow people still believed the illogical as something to fear.

“As complicated as the method would be if I explained this case as the activities of a serial killer, it would still make more sense than something supernatural.” I went with my usual answer as part of our routine.

“Come on, you said it yourself that the ritual was so complicated, how would the killer know that the requester fulfilled the exact steps of the ritual if they’re just a normal human being?”

“Or, listen to me. What if they actually didn’t?”

Supernatural explanations were something I disliked in principle. Conveniently explaining a mystery by attributing it to yet another mysterious force. Taking it out of human hands, out of anyone’s responsibility. If I relented and chose to believe that this was caused by the supernatural, then I would be condoning further murders to occur. It’s not my responsibility anymore. Supernatural causes were outside of what I could handle.

Just thinking about it made my stomach churn.

“Think about it, Merry. We only know the exact ritual from one person. Other sources of the ritual all gave wildly different details of the ritual, so we can’t even be sure that the ritual we know is the same.” Right now, this was simply a presumption. As skeptical as I was, I still believed that the information that the man gave me was of significant value. But for now, I would rather stand by my point than to acknowledge that.

I waited for Maribel to refute my words, but she seemed to be keen on listening to me, so I continued.

“He probably picked his potential targets semi-randomly in some way. I know, we already went over the victims several times, but there must be something connecting them together. There must be something we’re missing. A hidden pattern behind the clues the killer left us.”

Patterns were also convenient. Yet, it’s a convenience born out of human action. People value convenience more than they’d like to admit. One would buy something without hesitation even if they could just walk one block further to get the exact same thing for a cheaper price. Such principles apply to killers too. Perhaps their victims were prone to attacks when the killer saw them, maybe they were just living close to the killer’s base of operation. From those tendencies, a pattern can certainly be formed.

This would be what I believe to be real.

X-X-X

The rest of our dinner continued in silence. Maribel was clearly dissatisfied with my words, but she seemed to be thinking about it now. Finishing the last cut of the steamed mackerel on my plate, my gaze was locked onto her. I wonder, perhaps I was too eager to bring this topic up? Maribel had just left the hospital after a long stay, after all. She probably shouldn’t be playing detective yet. We should spend some time together with each other instead with something stress-free. Maybe playing cards? Watching news on the TV? Perhaps, crossword puzzles? Stargazing together might not be a bad idea, either. I would be fine with anything, really. As long as I was with her, that’s all that I wanted.

“Hey, Merry.”

I called out to her as Maribel continued to lose herself in her thoughts. “I… do you want to do something together, with me, tonight?”

“Hmm…” That was all that Maribel said, seemingly not listening to what I said. I wonder, did she end up figuring out something from my words? I waited for more time to pass before I spoke once more.

“I still have a few bottles of beer stocked here. It’s fine to not think about the case too much for now. I bet you’re dying to drink more alcohol after two whole months of nothing, right?” I tried to get Maribel to be excited for our night together, but again she failed to respond properly.

_“...pattern of one staining the other. Contamination from foreign substances must be eliminated.”_

“...Merry?” I started to feel worried. Was it delirium, perhaps from her medications?

_“The taboo membrane has been breached, it is inevitable, inevitable, inevitable…”_

“Merry, snap out of it!” I raised my voice, trying to get through. Maribel sounded more and more distant as she went on. She was staring at the table now, her gaze was empty. She did not seem to register my words. I yelled her name once more.

 _“The world will be dyed in a new color. The world, the world, the world…_ ah.”

It was only then that Maribel finally seemed to regain her footing in the material plane. She shook her head as if she was feeling dazed and looked around in confusion. My eyes met hers. Her gaze was asking me questions, but before I could say anything, she suddenly clutched her head with a pained expression.

“Don’t worry about me. I think this might just be a migraine.” Maribel tried to get up, but her steps were unsteady, and she had to lean to the wall to support herself. I rushed to her side, offering to get her back to my room and let her rest.

“But you’re looking really pale! This is not just a migraine, Merry!” I had no idea on what to do in this situation. I had little to no medical expertise, and most of the time where I felt unwell, I just slept through it and I would end up better the next day. But that wouldn’t work on Merry, who’s always been frail since her childhood. And...moreover, I couldn’t bring myself to bring her to a doctor now. I couldn’t let her go again, not on the first day that we reunited with each other.

“Renko, trust me. I’m fine.” Maribel kept her calm voice, always so composed in a dire situation like this. As I supported her to get up the stairs to my room, she turned around and faced me. “I think...I just saw something that I wasn’t meant to.”

“Merry, this is not the time for-”

“I see it, Renko. This time, _I really saw Hell._ ”

Maribel smiled at me before she lost her consciousness, slipping from my hold.

X-X-X


	11. Initiation

X-X-X

### Chapter 8: Initiation

“...The goal for today is to reach the end of this layer. This should prepare the two of you sufficiently for the real dive next week.”

As Mitsuru’s briefing continued, Sumireko’s mind was elsewhere. Four days had passed since the first day she returned to school, and despite trying her best to catch up to schoolwork with Sanae’s help, Sumireko still struggled a lot and so her thoughts lately were solely focused on the continuation of her story. Right now, she was thinking about what she should have for her next chapter. Of course, she was supposed to showcase the actual plot by then, but she was still unsure what it should have aside from a vague confrontation with Yukari Yakumo.

“Our devices have recently spotted the presence of an unusually strong Shadow at the end of the layer. Do be cautious of it.”

Oh, that could work. What little Sumireko did listen to gave her an idea. She could just have a filler enemy unleashed by JOKER to impede Renko’s path. The story was about rumors and urban legends turning into reality, after all. A filler enemy could be something made out of another such rumor, but what should it be?

More importantly, what should Renko and Maribel do together next? Of course, Maribel would still be bedridden at this point, so it couldn’t be anything too intense. They could maybe watch a movie together. That could work. Watching a movie together in Renko’s room while the two of them wore their nightwear, maybe a horror movie so Maribel could hold Renko tight throughout it all, then when the ghost properly appeared on-screen, it would walk out of the TV and try to attack Renko-

No, that would ruin the mood.

“Usami, are you listening properly?” Mitsuru’s voice broke Sumireko’s reverie and returned her into reality. Sumireko jolted out of her thoughts, and realized that Mitsuru, Reimu, and Sanae’s eyes were on her.

“Y-yes! I did listen, really!”

“Usami-san, you definitely spaced out...” Sanae dealt the final blow. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m quite fine.”

“If you’re sick, we won’t force you to join today’s dive. I would rather not have you collapse mid-exploration.” This time it was Reimu. She was always so composed, so experienced with the situation. That was the sort of person Renko was supposed to be, wasn’t it? But of course, she was different from Renko. Reimu was too distant.  
“Kirisame is not with us today. That is one less person to watch over you. As reliable as Hakurei is, you must not rely on her for everything.” Mitsuru said, decisively hammering the point.

“I think...I’ll rest a bit then.” Sumireko retreated to the back of the room. Mitsuru was right. She couldn’t go into the Abyss like this. Whether she liked it or not, she needed to push these thoughts away for now. In the first place, she wasn’t that thrilled about today’s exploration.

In the distance, the other three were already talking to each other as if Sumireko never existed. Sanae seemed to be telling a joke for once, causing both Reimu and Mitsuru to smile. They were showing a side of themselves that Sumireko could only rarely glimpse at before. In the first place, she was just this new kid in SEES, a stranger they had to accommodate. She didn’t feel like she was really part of the group.

“No, I can’t think about that now. I need to focus today. I can’t space out.” Sumireko slapped her cheeks together, but not too strongly.

The thought didn’t leave her mind that easily. Grumbling, Sumireko leaned against the wall but she felt something touching her back as she did so. Something hard and round. Sumireko turned around and saw a door just floating there right behind her. It wasn’t there when she last looked at this direction. Its ephemeral, blue glow was bright yet its light did not color the room at all. The door looked out of place. What had poked her earlier was its metallic doorknob.

“Um...about this...” Sumireko raised her voice, trying to get the others’ attention as she pointed at the door.

“Hm? What is it, Usami? Is something the matter?” Mitsuru responded and turned towards her direction. Sumireko pointed at the strange door again, but Mitsuru was still looking at her, confused. The others also had their attention on Sumireko now, but no matter how much she pointed at the door, they seemed to not register its presence. Sumireko sighed and gave up.

“No, never mind. Maybe I really was feeling unwell.” Sumireko questioned if she really had a screw loose in her head somewhere. Renko was fine, she was just Sumireko’s own invention, but if this blue door was a product of her mind, then she might actually have problems. Maybe it was just nothing, and Sumireko should just ignore it. “Still, I think I’m still in a good enough condition to explore today.”

“Prepare yourself then.” Mitsuru sounded unsure, but in the end, she gave Sumireko the okay to participate. As Sanae roped Mitsuru into another talk, Sumireko stood there looking at the two of them, as they discussed something that seemed to be more serious than before. Then her gaze returned to the door. She wondered where it would lead. Since it probably wasn’t real anyway, probably nowhere, but it wouldn’t be any harm to indulge herself a little longer.

Sumireko turned around and pushed the door open.

X-X-X

When Sumireko stepped inside, she found herself inside a room she recognized. It was the Velvet Room. The train that traveled through the sea of stars. Outside of the window was a train station in the middle of nowhere.

Right there in front of her, sitting behind a table, was the same strange woman in a strangely patterned black dress and a nightcap that looked suspiciously similar to Santa’s hat. A name came to Sumireko’s mind. Doremy Sweet. Upon making eye contact, Doremy smiled and invited Sumireko to come closer. “Ah, welcome. I’ve been awaiting you. Take a seat, by all means.”

She guided Sumireko gently to sit down. From somewhere Sumireko couldn’t see, she pulled out a tea set. “We should have time, let us talk over tea at least. Should you have questions, I shall certainly hear them once the teapot flows.”

Doremy poured a cup of the steaming beverage for Sumireko, who couldn’t tell what blend it was. In the first place, she wasn’t very familiar with tea. When offered, she took a sip. Flavorless, though a little bitter.

“Now that we’ve made ourselves comfortable, let’s start with your questions, dear guest.”

“...I’ve had a dream like this before, didn’t I?” The scenery was surreal, but Sumireko acknowledged that she had been here before.

“Very good, you remember our previous meeting.” It was apparent that Doremy couldn’t be any more satisfied with this development. “That is right, this is the second time now. Or perhaps, the third? But instead of meeting me in a dream, you have come here through the Velvet Door instead.”

“So, this is real?” Sumireko had thought the dream to be something she made up in her sleep, as strange as it was. However, a second dream that continued with the setting increased its validity. Well that, she entered this place while awake this time.

“Does that really matter?” Doremy let out a soft giggle before recomposing herself. Despite her outlandish appearance and her catty smile, Doremy’s attitude so far had been exceedingly polite.

Sumireko put her cup down. “Let’s put that aside then and get to the point. What is this door even doing in the Abyss?”

“Since it would be convenient for you, my dear guest. You will need to access this place in order to utilize my service. And that will be the prime topic of our conversation today, once you have nothing left to inquire.” Doremy mirrored her action.

Sumireko wanted to ask right away about what she meant with service but refrained. If this being was giving her the chance to ask what she wanted, she had better take advantage of it. “...When I asked everyone earlier, no one noticed the door. Am I the only one who can see and enter this place?”

“Indeed.” Doremy replied, her tone giving her a certain vibe that she was an all-knowing being. “As for why only you can see, it is related to what I shall be informing you of today. Shall we continue to that?”

“No, one more question.” There was just one more she wanted to try asking. “What is the Dark Hour?”

"...A time for those that wanted to run away from reality, I would say." Doremy shrugged her shoulders. Her tone changed by a bit. "To tell the truth, I am not tied to what caused it to exist in the first place, so I would not be able to give a satisfying answer here."

Indeed, Sumireko wasn’t satisfied, but she couldn’t think of anything else to say. She nodded to signify that she did not have further questions, and let Doremy took the lead.

“Very well then, let us move on to the main topic today.” Doremy reached out for the teapot to pour another cup for herself. She gestured to offer to pour one for Sumireko, but she declined. Doremy put the pot back on the table. “I have said earlier that the door exists for your convenience in accessing my service. Indeed, the reason I am offering you this service of mine, is also the reason why you can access the Velvet Room at all.”

Sumireko remembered what she was told in her previous meeting. “Because of that… contract?”

“Very sharp, you are. That is correct.” Doremy gave another satisfied nod. She stood up and walked over to Sumireko. “You have the power of the...”

Sumireko heard Doremy pause just as she felt the strange girl touch her on the shoulder. Her expression changed. The rhythm she had been established had been interrupted. Sumireko, who started to feel curious and elated earlier at the prospect of having something special, now only felt confusion on what actually happened. “Power of the…?”

“No, this must be a mistake.” Doremy’s hand, and her tone of voice, tensed up. “This makes no sense.”

Her grip was tight and Sumireko let out a yelp from the slight pain without meaning to. That made the grip loosen. But it didn’t leave her shoulder. The silence that fell afterwards remained for a few minutes.

“...Forgive me, but there have been some unforeseen issues.” After what felt like an eternity, the hand on her shoulder let go, and the next moment, Doremy returned to her seat. But her gaze was no longer on Sumireko, it was focused down on the table, as Doremy rested her head between her hands.

Seeing this mysterious, supposedly all-knowing girl in such a distressing situation, Sumireko felt herself relaxing. For once, she felt as if they were on even ground. Being on even ground with someone at all was a rare enough occurence to make it feel special. It was then that Sumireko saw the teapot Doremy had been using and lifted it up. She tried to make the most relaxed, calm smile that she could, but her face felt very strained. Sumireko wasn’t used to it, so when she spoke her voice cracked. “Want a refill?”

“...That would be much appreciated.” Despite her unsightly manner, Doremy relaxed her shoulders as well. She accepted the cup that Sumireko had refilled, and then poured one for Sumireko herself. The scent of tea had surely filled the entirety of the carriage by now. Although this was what Sumireko assumed to be some sort of dream space, it seems logic still worked here to some extent. “As you may have assumed, there is an unforeseen development. One that my associate had not yet told me about.”

“So, I have the power of…?”

“Not anymore.” Doremy paused once again. “Yet, for some reason you are still able to access the Velvet Room. It confounds me greatly, I must admit. Usami Sumireko, you are not the Wild Card.”

The words sunk into Sumireko. But she couldn’t quite understand the significance of what Doremy was talking. She had no idea what this “Wild Card” was supposed to be in the first place.

“To put it simply, the Dark Hour is a trial for humanity. More specifically, for the handful of you who are attempting to clear the abyss of Tartarus. Tartarus is your challenge, and on your side, there should be a Wild Card. It is unfair for the side of humanity to not have a Wild Card with them. It would violate the terms of this trial.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t really understand anything you said just now...” Sumireko frowned. What Doremy said made completely no sense even if it felt like it was supposed to be significant. What was Tartarus? And what was this trial of humanity even supposed to be? A feeling of frustration grew on Sumireko’s mind as she entered yet another situation she couldn’t grasp.

“Pardon me, that was simply nonsense, rambling on my part. What I have just said should have no bearing on the real world, or the reason why Tartarus and the Dark Hour exists, so pay no mind to it. However, it is a fact that only the Wild Card can access the Velvet Room, and you are meant to be it. That you are not is inconceivable! Ah, no, I didn’t mean to shout at you, apologies. Still, unless you have a Wild Card amongst your midst then the trial is unfair, I cannot allow that.”

“What does it mean to be a Wild Card?” Unable to keep up, Sumireko inquired.

“Hm, what should be done to offset this unbalance?” Doremy spoke to herself, lost in doubt and concern. She did not hear Sumireko’s question until she noticed her slightly annoyed glare. “Apologies. But hm...”

“Hm?” Sumireko pushed further, desiring an answer.

“Very well. I have made my decision.” Doremy declared. Sumireko was unsure whether she actually paid attention to her or not. “It may be a little crude, but this is how I shall resolve this situation of ours.”

The next moment, without any gesturing or buildup, Reimu materialized, sitting right next to Sumireko. Reimu glanced around quickly with an alerted expression but she immediately relaxed upon seeing Sumireko.

“Sumireko?”

“Reimu-senpai?! What are you-”

”Welcome, to the Velvet Room.” Doremy interrupted them with a smile. Sumireko was used to her cryptic appearances, but Reimu glared at the mysterious woman.

“What’s going on, Sumireko? Where is this?”

“It’s a little hard to explain...” Sumireko frankly still wasn’t quite sure. She thought this Velvet Room was a dream she was seeing, but now Reimu was here. Everything really had stopped making sense the moment she entered the door. ”At first I thought this place was just something I came up with in a dream, but it seems to be some sort of space outside of reality.”

“I appreciate your attempt to calm your colleague down but please allow me to explain the rest.” Doremy interrupted Sumireko before turning her attention to Reimu. “This is a place between dream and reality, mind and matter. Perhaps I should say, a place where dreams and reality hold no distinction. I have invited you here to bestow upon you a power, Hakurei Reimu. This should’ve been something I would hand over to the dear guest to your left, but due to a certain circumstance surrounding her, that is currently impossible. You, who have yet to sign a contract, happen to be a compatible Fool.”

Sumireko couldn’t help but look questioningly at Doremy. Reimu saw this exchange and explained. “I’m guessing she means Fool as in our Arcanas, I would assume. Personas and Shadows are classified under the Arcanas of the Tarot deck. Do you know of them?”

“Ah, yes.” Sumireko nodded. She was very familiar, she used to be enamored with divination when she was younger. She lost a fair amount of sleep looking up all their meanings back then. She lost interest for it by the time she was in middle school though.

“My Abe-no-Seimei is of the Fool Arcana. You should be able to sense your own if you focus on it.” Sumireko followed her words and closed her eyes. She turned her thoughts to Renko. The one who gave meaning and color to her daily life, the one who provided her with comfort and security. Her guardian. Her Persona.

Orpheus of the Moon Arcana.

“Well then, dear esteemed companion of the Detective. I have summoned you here to grant you power. For that, a contract must be made.” Doremy waved her hand, and a piece of paper appeared on the table. Sumireko looked at it but couldn’t read anything, the text was blurred. “Unfortunately, a contract is private between the recipient and I. Even you cannot view it, dear guest.”

Reimu picked up the contract and read it. Even in such a confusing situation, with less context of what’s going on than Sumireko, she still retained her composure. Sumireko couldn’t help but to admire her, but at the same time, the ease of accepting the situation also was slightly creepy.

“I understand. I’ll sign this, so hurry and finish our business here so we can go back. We still have the Dark Hour to deal with.”

With the same omniscient smile as before, Doremy smiled. She had expected that exact response. “Understood.”

A quill magically appeared in Reimu’s hand, and the very next moment she used it to sign her name on the sheet of paper. Then, both the paper and the quill disappeared.

“You are now a welcomed guest of the Velvet Room. I have also taken the liberty of giving you your power upon your touching of that quill.” Her smile widened. Then she turned to Sumireko. “Dear detective. Please escort your companion out.”

Sumireko wasn’t sure why, but she felt a little cheated as she saw the two complete their contract.

Doremy’s smile turned inwards, as if regretting her course of action. “Today was a blunder on my part and for that I apologize. But do not think our meeting held no meaning. I am sure that I will see both of you again in the future.

But until then, farewell.”

X-X-X

“Bufu!” Sumireko summoned Renko to freeze a Shadow that managed to sneak up behind Sanae. It was a direct hit, but then Sumireko was jumped from behind by another blob-like Shadow. She desperately attempted to tear herself away to no avail, but then an arrow pierced through it without injuring Sumireko.

“Are you alright, Usami-san?!”

“Ye-yeah, thanks.”

Elsewhere, Reimu’s Mahama wiped out three other Shadows.

“Why are there so many Shadows this time?” Sumireko complained while getting up and wiping the grime off her clothes. Sumireko could barely keep up with the other two. She got into far too many close calls and her fear halted her legs, she couldn’t feel them moving freely.

_“~I have located the stairs to be on your left. Shadow concentration is low there, make haste.~”_

“Alright then. Sumireko, Sanae, run first. I’ll cover your back.” Reimu announced her decision the moment Mitsuru’s buzzed voice could be heard from their communication device. Sanae nodded and grabbed Sumireko’s arm, pulling her to hurry.

Sumireko resisted at first, worrying about Reimu, but relented when she saw the assuredness in Reimu’s expression. The two then made their way towards the stairs, avoiding any Shadows they passed if they could. By the time the two reached the stairs, they were panting heavily.

“The deeper we go, the more Shadows there are…” Sumireko complained. They had been exploring for a while already in this session and were now a few floors deeper than before.

Sumireko stared at the corridor that they had just passed through as her thoughts went to her senior. Reimu seemed to be in deep thought ever since earlier. It was definitely tied to the Velvet Room. Reimu had approached Sumireko a few times, wanting to talk about something before retreating silently. It was strange, seeing someone like her so confused.

“Do you think Reimu-senpai will be fine?”

“She’s way beyond us. She can handle herself, so don’t worry about her.”

The floor layout started to turn strange the further they went down in this session. At first it was just a messy, jumbled version of Gekkoukan with random things littering around, but it gradually became orderly in a way that Sumireko did not expect. The neon lamps on the ground, lockers and doors attached to the ceiling, even the Shadows started to come from above at that point. It was then that Sumireko realized that the entire layer was upside down, and that they were walking on the ceiling all along. This was around the time the concentration of Shadows increased significantly, during the part where there were less potential objects the team could use to hide or protect themselves since all the lockers were stapled shut to the “floor” up above.

Sumireko looked to her side. Sanae was calm and without any hint of worry as her gaze was locked into the dark corridor that they had just passed. Meanwhile Sumireko was still catching her breath, worried that a shadow might come at any time.

“Sanae, how can you be so relaxed? Aren’t we still in danger?”

"Panicking will only make the situation worse. We're in this together, so everything will be alright, Usami-san." Sanae turned and gave Sumireko an earnest smile. It was a pleasant expression, but it didn’t help Sumireko’s own feelings at all. It was unfair.

After ten minutes or so had passed, Reimu reappeared, looking unscratched and unfazed. “That took longer than expected.”

“Hakurei-senpai!” Both juniors shouted as Sanae went to embrace Reimu while Sumireko collapsed to her knees. Compared to Reimu, who only suffered minor cuts on her uniform, Sanae and Sumireko were in worse condition with scratches and minor wounds all over. Sanae gave Sumireko a proud smirk, as if saying ‘I told you so’. As they had regrouped, they took to applying first aid to each other.

“Well done on avoiding the shadows. We should not be far from the end now.” Although she was as focused as ever, Sumireko caught a hint of satisfaction in Reimu’s voice. Perhaps Reimu was worried whether Sanae and Sumireko had gotten into worse danger when they were separated and was equally glad to see them as they were to see her?

As Sanae applied some bandages to a cut on Sumireko’s arm, Sumireko used the time to take a better look at the area around her. They were in the school hallway where the classrooms were. To her left, there were the bathrooms. She wondered about whether those were functional, but after some deliberation, decided not to try. She would have to jump to enter them anyway and that would be cumbersome.

In the end, although it bore an almost perfect resemblance to school, the inverted perspective destroyed any feeling of familiarity Sumireko may have felt for the place. A minute later, Sanae was done.

“The Dark Hour should be ending soon. Let’s hurry.”

“Yes!” The two juniors cheered as the three of them went down the stairs.

After a few turns on the next floor, they entered the auditorium hall. It was familiar to Sumireko, but she also remembered that the auditorium was supposed to be a separate building. This layer of the Abyss didn’t entirely correlate to the actual school’s architecture. After all, it was more like a layered maze formed from various aspects of the school, or so Sumireko’s observation so far told her. The auditorium itself was upside-down as well, so the ceiling they stood on was concave, like they were standing inside a gigantic crater.

In their exploration they hadn’t encountered a Shadow since the three girls reunited. The whole time, Reimu’s expression became increasingly concerned.

“Is something wrong, Reimu-senpai?” Her expression reminded Sumireko of Doremy after discovering an unexpected anomaly. And just like Doremy, rather than answering her, Reimu instead went to contact Mitsuru.

“Mitsuru, have you scanned this area?”

_“~There were no signs of usual shadows here, but…hold on. The exit shouldn’t be far.~”_

“Alright, then let’s wait here until you located the stairs.”

Silence crept as the three waited for Mitsuru to speak again. Reimu was focused as always, while Sanae hummed a tune that Sumireko couldn’t recognize. And Sumireko herself ended up having her gaze upwards, looking at the stairs stapled above her. After miles and miles of deformed scenery of her school, seeing the auditorium being mosly unaltered was somewhat pleasant. It reminded her of the first day of school, where she met with Ekoda that time, and she was stuck on the side of one random boy who had a crush on Sanae. From what she knew of Sanae so far, Sumireko was sure that the boy had zero chance with her. She giggled at the thought as her thoughts continued to drift-

_“~Watch out!~”_

A gust of wind. Someone yanked her body to the side. Something flashed by, so close to her. Something had happened, and Sumireko had no idea what it was. The next thing she felt was pain and she saw a wound opened on her left arm. Her blood dripped onto the ground, not showing any signs of stopping. Had it not be for Reimu’s quick thinking, she would be...

“Where is it? Where is the shadow?”

Reimu still held onto Sumireko as she looked around. The three girls could now feel a presence in the room. Something stronger than the Shadows that they had faced in the Abyss so far. Seconds later, they managed to pinpoint the enemy’s location.

A new Shadow stood at the very edge of the room, blocking the door opposite where the three girls entered from. Unlike the earlier blobs of black ooze or the tiny fairies, this one held a human-sized, concrete form. It was a humanoid with a neon blue mask and a large, purple umbrella. A large, red malleable appendage stuck out from the umbrella in a way that resembled a tongue.

“We’ve identified a new type of Shadow.” Reimu spoke as she let go of Sumireko. ”Undertaking extermination.”

As if on cue, the Shadow roared, ready to unleash another attack. The Shadow brought its umbrella to face forward before commencing a lunging attack, riding the umbrella like a jousting lance. It was the same attack that it used earlier Sanae and Reimu dodged the attack, but Sumireko was unable to. Her hand instead gripped her Evoker.

“Bufu!”

A pillar of ice struck the charging Shadow. The impact slowed it down and halted its charge. Sumireko felt relieved, but then the shadow roared again. Sumireko’s attack did no damage to it. Panic overtook her as Sumireko prepared to fire her Evoker again.

“Garu!”

“Single Shot!”

A gust of wind slammed the Shadow to the wall before it could attack Sumireko. Staggered, the Shadow rose up from the rubble only to be struck by Reimu’s follow-up attack. Its umbrella and clothing were now in tatters, revealing the complete void underneath. The Shadow winded up momentarily before it raised its umbrella up into the air. As if a sudden gust of wind was summoned, the Shadow floated away from the three. Once it was high enough, its movement became more erratic. It flew around the auditorium without any regard to pattern. From its trajectory, a series of icicle-like projectiles were fired downwards like rain.

“Renko!” Sumireko ignored the pain on her left and pulled the trigger. The projectiles slowed down to a crawl as Renko materialized. She had three seconds to escape. Renko bashed the icicles with her lyre as Sumireko dragged herself through the path she created. Time returned to its normal flow. The icicles crashed into the ground, narrowly avoiding Sumireko.

Meanwhile, the other two handled the attack better with their quick movements. Sumireko caught up with her breath first, trying to find some pattern in the Shadow’s erratic movements as she did so. This attempt did not last long, and Sumireko summoned Renko again to try bashing at it randomly out of frustration but to no avail.

However, in the midst of this chaos a blast of wind from Sanae managed to land, causing the Shadow to recoil momentarily. Black sludge poured down from the Shadow as more of the void underneath its clothing became exposed.

“Shooting at it while it’s up there is hard…” Sanae prepared her bow. There were only three arrows left in her quiver. “Usami-san, can you distract it while I take aim?”

Sumireko nodded and summoned Renko again. Once again, Renko moved around and attempted to hit the Shadow without any success. An arrow passed by, inches away from hitting the Shadow. Sumireko could see Sanae grumbling as she pulled another arrow from her quiver only to miss again with her next shot. Another miss, and the Shadow stopped its flight. Sanae pulled out her Evoker in response, but the Shadow fired a large ice projectile at her before she pulled the trigger.

A light projectile shattered the ice before it hit Sanae. Sumireko looked around, trying to find Reimu, but she was already up there next to the Shadow. It swung its umbrella wildly in an attempt to defend itself, only to be responded by a hard kick to the chest and several needles. With her Persona disappearing, Reimu used her own weight to hold the Shadow as she brought it to the ground, only resummoning her Persona again midway to soften her own landing.

However, the Shadow hadn’t been defeated yet. With a swing of its umbrella, Reimu was knocked away. Sanae fired another Garu at it, breaking its mask in the process. However, the Shadow immediately retaliated by hitting Sanae with a block of ice, knocking her to the wall.

Just in seconds, only Sumireko was left standing. She ignored her dizziness from blood loss and rushed in with her spear to finish off the Shadow. Sumireko lunged at it, but the Shadow blocked it using its umbrella, wielding it as a sword. The Shadow followed up with a swing of its own, which Sumireko blocked with the length of her spear. It was a powerful swing and bent Sumireko's spear with sheer force.

In the distance, Sumireko saw Reimu standing up and rushing towards Sanae. The Shadow swung its umbrella again, and Sumireko had Renko block it. Sumireko caught glimpses of Reimu examining Sanae’s wounds, before taking out her Evoker. Sumireko wanted to yell at Reimu to save her now. Another of the Shadow’s swings narrowly missed Sumireko. The Evoker was now pointing at Reimu's temple. Sumireko could not see her expression.

“Pixie.”

Reimu’s words rang as she pulled the trigger. What appeared was not the butterfly maiden that Sumireko had grown fond of, but a small humanoid female with dragonfly wings. An entire different Persona.

“Dia.” Sanae’s wounds were quickly closing up as she was bathed in light coming from Reimu’s new Persona. Sumireko could only watch, her mouth agape. Sanae had much of the same reaction to her. Distracted by what had just happened however, Sumireko tripped due to the unevent shape of the ground and the Shadow was now looming above her, ready to finish her off.

“Renko!”

Sumireko fired her Evoker in desperation. The flow of time came to a crawl once more. She let go of her Evoker before grabbing what was left of her spear. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. Those words repeated itself on Sumireko’s mind. She was scared. She feared her own mortality as it stared from behind its mask. The roman numeral for 12 was carved on it. Holding the sharp tip of the spear close to her hand, Sumireko drove it through the Shadow’s mask as time returned to normal

The shadow’s mask shattered as the spear was driven into its head. Underneath the mask was nothing. A nothing that continued staring at Sumireko as it readied itself to swing its umbrella one last time.

“Persona.”

But before that could happen, a light projectile pierced its head, stopping its movements completely. Right before Sumireko, the Shadow collapsed on her. Its unpleasant weight pressed against her before dissipating into black sludge that evaporated into nothingness within seconds.

_“~What had just happened, Reimu?~”_

“I will explain everything tomorrow.”

As Reimu and Sanae rushed to her side, Sumireko’s helpless gaze focused on the two’s expressions. Underneath their worry for her, Sumireko could see their smile. She could see the satisfaction from defeating such an enemy. From overcoming this danger. It was unfair. It was unfair that they could enjoy this exploration while Sumireko was continuously haunted by her fears.

X-X-X

“You can use multiple Personas?!” Marisa exclaimed at the dinner table. It was breakfast the next day.

“I’m not repeating that again.” The loudness and attention made Reimu scowl. But it was not unwarranted, after the events of last night.

“But how?!” As Marisa sat right next to Reimu, she was within arm’s reach and shook her by the arm. Reimu tried to shake her off but to no avail.

“I wouldn’t know. I just can now.” Reimu turned away to the side.

Sitting and witnessing the two right in front of her, Sumireko was the least shocked of those at the table. Even taking account of her feelings last night, she found herself surprisingly calm, no, relieved. If Reimu wasn’t able to do that, neither her or Sanae would be here around this dining table today. That the power could’ve been hers did not bother her anywhere near as much as the feeling of relief that they survived.

But that really was the power the Velvet Room granted her, wasn’t it? The Velvet Room was not a dream. The Velvet Room, and Doremy Sweet, were not products of her imagination. After all, Reimu was there as well. Unless that Reimu was part of her imagination too.

Sumireko shook her head. This was something she’d have to privately confront Reimu about. Ideally very soon. Looking at the scene however, that was unlikely to happen.

“Rei- no, Hakurei.” Mitsuru’s look of disapproval brought Sumireko’s attention back. “Are you absolutely sure you did not neglect to inform us of this...development?”

Reimu’s eyes narrowed. A bout of silence passed between the two. “Of course not.”

“I find it hard to believe that you could have just developed something so convenient at just the right time. That is all.”

“What are you saying, Kirijo-senpai?” Sanae stood up to match Mitsuru’s height. “Hakurei-senpai saved us all last night, do we really need to interrogate her like this?”

Marisa stood as well. “I don’t doubt Reimu, but I want to hear more from her as well.”

Only Reimu and Sumireko remained sitting. Mitsuru noticed this and turned to her. “Well, Usami? Were you aware of this all along?”

The suggestion made Sumireko gulp. MItsuru’s, Marisa’s, and Sanae’s gazes were all on her now. “What are you saying? How could I? Of course I didn’t!”

“Stop it.” Reimu stood up. “There’s nothing for me to explain. I’m going.”

“Wait, Reimu!”

Reimu ignored them and walked out of the dorm. Leaving them all standing and Sumireko seated alone. Sumireko looked over everyone’s faces. Sanae had a small frown. Marisa looked like she wanted to chase after Reimu right away, but didn’t know what to say. Mitsuru’s was very pained.

“With the mood like this, I can’t just ignore everyone and run after her, can I…?” Sumireko whispered to herself.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a bit late this time due to the authors being busy.
> 
> Hopefully that is understandable.


	12. Emergence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a warning, short mention of graphic violence.

X-X-X

### Chapter 9: Emergence

The Saturday that Reimu left, the mood at the dorm was tense and even though Sumireko tried to ignore it, it distracted her for the whole day. She swore to herself that tomorrow she was going to avoid the dorm until nightfall. 

The following Sunday, Sumireko was reading at a bookstore. 

“Hmm, the latest releases aren’t very interesting, are they?” 

In the corner of her eye, Renko was waltzing around the store glancing at the shelves and the many people around them, occasionally dropping generic comments over the equally generic volumes of light novels on sale. Sumireko herself was reading a book, the latest release by Irota-sensei whose releases she eagerly followed since middle school. Yet, her attention was distracted by all the horsing around Renko was doing. 

“Look at this, look at this! Isn’t this just self-insert porn? There’s so many harem light novels!”

“...On second thought, I’m going to read this later at home.” Sumireko grumbled, unable to concentrate on the book she was reading. Sumireko went to the counter and the next moment she was walking out of the store, plastic bag in hand and Renko right behind her. 

“What’s the matter, Sumireko, you’re bored already?” 

“Yes. Because of a certain someone being too energetic.” 

“You say that, but I know it’s because there’s too many customers around and that made you nervous.” 

Sumireko kept silent and walked around, looking for somewhere to sit and read. She still had too much time to kill. Wherever she went, there were too many people. It annoyed her. Even though it was a Sunday, it was still crowded. Or maybe it’s because it was a Sunday?

“Ah.” In front of a sushi store, Sumireko stopped. She spotted a familiar figure about to enter. 

“Hakurei-senpai. Uh… funny to see you here.” Sumireko’s greeting was awkward. After yesterday, she was unsure what to say here. She couldn’t read Reimu’s face, and Renko had already disappeared behind her.

“Well, at least you’re not Marisa or Mitsuru.” Reimu’s face was unfazed but her heavily relieved sigh told otherwise. She was dressed in casual attire, a sleeveless red shirt and running pants. She held a plastic bag with books inside, the same plastic bag from the store Sumireko just left. They both noticed this at the same time as they made eye contact, and Sumireko let herself relax.

“Where have you been since yesterday, senpai?”

“Hanging around. Mostly avoiding those two.” Reimu shook the plastic bag she held. 

“Do you really have to avoid them?”

“It’s really annoying to deal with them when they become that curious. You can imagine.”

Sumireko unintentionally nodded in agreement, as she could easily imagine it and couldn’t blame Reimu one bit. “Ah.”

“Hm, It’s fine, I won’t tell them you agreed.” It was relaxing. Reimu could read Sumireko better than she could herself. Sumireko didn’t have to think about her own responses too much.

“...Anyway.” Sumireko knew that if she let her go, she might not see Reimu again for another week or so. Reimu was like a rare animal, one had to try to catch her if she appeared. 

“Hakurei-senpa-” 

“Let’s go eat, I’ll treat.” Reimu stopped her and headed into the restaurant. “You want to talk, don’t you? We’ll do that inside.”

Feeling hungry herself, Sumireko had no desire to refuse. “...if you insist.”

Rotating sushi bars were convenient places. They were crowded, but the whole place was loud enough that it felt like complete privacy was awarded to any conversation held within. If someone came alone, they would sit at the counter with other strangers, but because Sumireko and Reimu were together they were led to a table in the corner. And they offered free hot tea at the table, as every table came equipped with a hot water dispenser and a container filled with green tea powder. Sumireko couldn’t complain.

The food itself of course, could not be expensive. It was lower-class, fast food, it had to be affordable. But for a hundred yen a dish at the cheapest, Sumireko found it to be surprisingly tasty. And a variety of dishes would pass around on a conveyor belt, the short opportunity of time to decide whether to take a dish or not tempting people to overspend. If Sumireko didn’t control herself, her wallet would lighten. 

Reimu, on the other hand, ate like everything was free and she hadn’t eaten in a few days. And she ate so many of the most basic of dishes, the egg sushi too. They hadn’t spoken a single word as Reimu was conjuring up a storm of sushi plates and Sumireko felt it was best not to interrupt. 

Even so, Sumireko had something she wanted to ask here no matter what. 

“Senpai. About the Velvet Room…” 

However resolved, Sumireko found it hard to form the right words. Her prompt was noticed by Reimu, who was now looking at her with interest. Sumireko swallowed her own spit before continuing. “Was it real? That I met you there. That person, Doremy Sweet summoned you and gave you something. To tell the truth… I’ve dreamt about her twice before. I dismissed it as one of the many weird dreams I have. But now, I’m unsure whether that actually happened.”

Reimu grabbed another plate. She swallowed its contents, placed it on top the second pile of dishes, and then wiped her mouth with a napkin. “...I was unsure until now as well, but yes. That was me, Usami. It was me you met in that dream. It was you that I met in that dream.” 

Sumireko felt like a weight suddenly lift off her. For her dream, that wasn’t actually a dream apparently, be acknowledged by someone else. Sumireko couldn’t describe the warm feeling inside her. 

Very nonchalantly, Reimu continued. “I did end up visiting this Velvet Room again last night.”

Had Sumireko not paid attention she would have missed that entirely. Instead, she almost choked on the dessert she ordered after she was done with her food. “Wait, really? Did you discover anything new?” 

“Unfortunately, no. Your host was tight-lipped. Doremy, was it? She wouldn’t tell me anything actually important.” Reimu pouted to the side. 

_Wait, then she did tell you something, didn’t she?_ Sumireko almost found herself saying that, but held back. They made eye contact. Reimu’s eyes told her not to ask further.

“...If anything, you’d know more about her, wouldn’t you?” Reimu asked Sumireko back.

“Ah, well, about that. You’d think so but… I don’t know. I’ve only dreamed about her twice before, and I’m as clueless as you are. I don’t even know what contract I signed, I don’t remember signing it. Did yours say anything, senpai?”

Reimu paused for a moment, thinking. A brief silence followed before she made her answer.

“It is a secret. It is made between me and her, and its content is only privy for us two. I don’t plan to answer that.” It seemed that Reimu was not going to budge on it. Silence returned between the two as they avoided each other’s gaze for a while. 

“That aside, how have you been?” Reimu turned to her again.

Although it was an innocuous, harmless question, Sumireko hated questions like those. She could never figure out how to best answer them. “Well, I’ve been alright.” 

“That tells me nothing. How are you coping with the Abyss?” 

Sumireko rubbed her head, her polite, insincere smile dropped into a look of honest hesitation. “Honestly, I feel tired and… Actually, Senpai, can I ask you something else?”

She was hesitant to ask Reimu, but after thinking it over ever since she left the Abyss, Sumireko pushed herself to voice her thoughts, as memories of the previous days and attempts to enter the Abyss flashed by. 

“The Abyss is not fun.”

Reimu raised an eyebrow.

“Well, of course, it’s not like everyone’s doing this because it’s fun in the first place, I understand that...” Sumireko felt compelled to explain herself. “But when I go down to the Abyss, I’m not very strong, I mess up all the time, and I’m scared of dying, especially after last time. I thought that was normal, since we’re doing something dangerous and unknown. But then I look at you three and you’re all so relaxed! We’re a supernatural investigation team and it feels more like a school club! Even though we’re doing something so dangerous, Marisa-senpai and Sanae and Reimu-senpai, you all take it with stride and I don’t understand that. You make it seem fun and I just don’t know how to feel that way. What should I do?”

Sumireko took a breath. Reimu had kept herself silent and her expression unchanged as she listened politely, and now that Sumireko ran out of things to say she lowered her head. 

No, there was a bunch of other things Sumireko felt she could have said. How even though she didn’t understand a thing, she wished she could summon multiple Personas like Reimu could so she’d feel like she was special like a protagonist of a light novel, or how she wished it was someone else who made mistakes so she could coolly help them out even though she was the newcomer. Or that she wanted to feel closer to Mitsuru and Marisa and Sanae and Reimu, to feel like she was actually part of a team. 

“That…” Reimu began to speak and Sumireko raised her head back up. “I don’t understand.”

Sumireko was about to speak up to explain herself, but Reimu held up a hand to stop her. She continued, with a quieter, fainter voice. “I don’t understand how you feel. _What would be the best response to this, I don’t know._ I don’t know the right answer to give you. It’s puzzling for me.”

Although it was very slight, Reimu’s lips frowned, not in disapproval of Sumireko, but of herself. “Apologies, Usami. Even though you admitted all this to me.”

“No, that’s…” Sumireko was unsure why she spilled all that out to Reimu herself. It’s not like they were that close, she was closer to Sanae than Reimu. But she felt she could only admit this to Renko, and now Reimu. Now that she did, she wanted an answer, something to illuminate and show her the way.

“Usami. All I can say is, this is something you should figure out for yourself.” With a very dissatisfied face, that was all Reimu said. 

Sumireko’s worries remained clouded and dark.

X-X-X

Sumireko collapsed onto the bed and exhaled a satisfied sigh, holding a book tightly to her chest. The latest light novel release by Irota-sensei, _Unprivileged Access_ , was as amazing as she hoped for it to be. The plot was tight and engaging and each chapter kept her on her toes, as expected. She hadn’t needed to think about anything else ever since she came home and began reading it.

If she had a complaint, it was that one of the characters was killed for the sake of moving the plot forward. It was an integral development, but Sumireko was bothered that her favorite character had to die for it. Even if it would lower the quality of the work, she would rather the character survive. 

That was the only complaint she could think of. But there was one more detail that nagged her just a little. 

“The protagonist is a lot like me...” Sumireko had noticed the parallels as she read. A young girl with issues of fitting in and no friends, and the struggles she goes through in the novel was not entirely dissimilar to Sumireko’s rant to Reimu just earlier. 

She tried not to think about it but now that her new book wasn’t distracting her, Sumireko’s thoughts went back to her earlier conversation, and the unsatisfying answer Reimu had given her. Even though she went out of her way to express all those things she wasn’t used to saying out loud. “It’d be so much easier if she’d just give me a straight answer. She may not know it, but Hakurei-senpai is kind of like Kirijo-senpai…”

Sumireko was then distracted by the sound of chatter from outside her room. She heard Marisa and Sanae talking loudly, about something she couldn’t make out. Sumireko waited it out silently, lying on her bed covered by her blanket. 

When they finally did, Sumireko let out a relieved sigh. She just wasn’t in the mood to deal with them now. 

“Ignore Hakurei-senpai, I’ll have to do something myself. Otherwise I’ll just die...” Sumireko mouthed out.

Then the true implication of her statement began to sink in. Death. Sumireko shuddered. 

How could one be so calm in the face of death? Sumireko wished that she was one of those fantasy novel protagonists who could stare down death without losing composure. No matter how dangerous, even when faced with certain doom, they keep a level head.

But to Sumireko, that was inconceivable. It wasn’t something she could do. Maybe Reimu could, but not her. Not even the protagonist of the novel she just read could. In a situation of life or death, the protagonist of that novel showed palpable fear. Their anxiety, their worries, the emotions she felt as death scraped by her over and over again felt real. They felt almost the same as what Sumireko had experienced over and over again.

Disembowelment by an umbrella. In vivid detail, Sumireko remembered. Had Reimu been a second too late, the Shadow’s umbrella would’ve penetrated through her body. She saw herself lying in the pool of her own blood as the Shadow pulled out its weapon alongside what was left of her own guts.

She saw herself being torn apart, limb to limb, by the shapeless blobs that littered the Abyss on her first excursion.

She saw herself being turned into a bloody pincushion alongside Sanae during her battle on the rooftop and her bones breaking as she was thrown around like a ragdoll. 

She saw the mangled remains of her body in the alleyway the very first night she came to Iwatodai. 

She saw herself underneath debris of metal and rubber and fire, dying alongside the rest of her family in the car crash ten years ago.

At one point, it became hard for her to dissociate herself with the protagonist of the novel, who came closer and closer to being gruesomely murdered every chapter. Even after Sumireko joined SEES, death continued to haunt her. And it’s not like Sumireko could just quit either. She had to accept that it would be a part of her daily life. She could die anytime, both her and the protagonist of that story she read acknowledged it.

But, the protagonist of the novel could still move on after that. She felt the same emotions as Sumireko did. She felt as helpless, she felt the same paralyzing fear. Yet she was still somehow able to get herself to do something about her situation. To continue surviving even when the situation seemed hopeless. That was the point where Sumireko was unable to identify with the protagonist anymore.

So then, what did the protagonist do differently? 

Sumireko couldn’t answer.

She was sure their behavior was quite similar. Antisocial loners with no friends and an inability to trust others. If there was a difference, it was that the protagonist had a sister character, but it was the protagonist’s inability to communicate with her sister that fueled her feeling of incompetence and isolation. Sumireko didn’t have anything similar like that. She didn’t have anyone like that. 

But even without a sister character of her own, Sumireko also felt incompetent and isolated. They also shared the same disdain for other people. The protagonist wanted to live with just her blind sister and ignore the rest of the world. Sumireko wanted to just be with Maribel. Just that would be enough to make her happy. Renko was happy with that, after all.

But Sumireko wasn’t happy now, even if she had written about Maribel for so long, having all the time she needed to spend with her. Her own story was progressing at a decent pace, and there was a comfortable distance between her and everyone else. Why couldn’t she feel satisfied with that? 

Sumireko shook her head. Going down that line of logic wasn’t going to take her any further. There had to be a different way to think about her situation. The protagonist of _Unprivileged Access_ was satisfied with herself, but she did not change her social situation and she still lacked friends. Sumireko found that part to be what she wanted to do differently. 

Did that mean Sumireko wanted friends? Even though she already had Renko and Merry? 

Even thinking about it felt strange. Sumireko had played with the thought a few times before, but most of those were just attempts and desires born out of her whims. It’s just that this time, she felt that she _needed friends_. At least, just with the members of the SEES. Sumireko believed that it would help her get more used to her current situation. She believed that it would help her stay alive.

Sanae had been so kind to her, ever since the first day she came. No matter how much Sumireko doubted her, she couldn’t find it in herself to want Sanae to not be friends with her, to not have her back. 

Marisa was such a reliable upperclassman, for someone with an injured arm. She was loud and energetic and even if her excitement sometimes annoyed Sumireko, Marisa could melt any tension. She could make Sumireko feel like everyone else in the group. Sumireko didn’t want her to stop extending that warmth. 

Mitsuru, well, Sumireko still found it hard to feel at ease around her after what she admitted to do. Even so, Mitsuru cared for SEES in her own way and would do anything to protect them all, Sumireko included. That was more than what Sumireko could say about herself. 

And Reimu was the most interesting person of them all. She wasn’t just stern and cool, but she made sure nothing could go wrong. And she even proved to Sumireko that at least one of her dreams were real. And despite all though, she was still such a mysterious person that Sumireko wanted to know more about. 

Why had Sumireko never tried to get closer to any of them? If she thought about it, they were all such interesting _characters_. Every single one of them. Why didn’t she see it like that before? Of course she’d want to befriend them. 

Was the answer really as simple as just to try making friends with the people around her after all? 

“But that doesn’t solve anything.” In front of Sumireko, Renko materialized. She wore a loose cardigan and a long skirt, a slight variation of her usual outfit. The color scheme of course remained the same. “That won’t magically make you stronger or any less prone to dying. Whether you stay with SEES and continue the nightly expeditions or stay on your own and risk dying every night, you can’t escape. In the end, the danger remains and that’s what you fear.”

_But Renko, I just had a thought. Wouldn’t it be possible, if I had my friends help me? They’re certainly willing to carry me._

“Don’t you see the flaw in that? You’re expecting your team members to help you, without even caring to learn more about them. You’re treating them like they’re mere characters in a story.”

_But if I become willing to get closer to them, wouldn’t that solve everything? It’s like one of those cheesy light novels you were trash-talking earlier. The power of friendship._

“But can you approach them? With your lack of social skills?” 

_I have to try._

“But you did. Many times before. And it never went well. That’s why you stopped. You don’t know how to communicate. And you only get hurt whenever you try. ” 

Sumireko hesitated. What Renko said wasn’t wrong. Even on the very first day of school, she tried approaching a group of girls and that didn’t work out, on the faintest hope that something might begin. 

“You know how everyone really thinks of you. You have no reason to trust that they would want to befriend you. Not even Sanae would think that befriending you gives her any benefit whatsoever.”

Sumireko gulped. Renko stood before her, locking her gaze on hers. Of course Renko would think of it like that. Renko was someone already so great and amazing, that she had no reason to befriend anyone outside of someone as ideal as Maribel. Those trifling friends for her held no value or benefit any longer.

Meanwhile, Sumireko was surrounded by people almost as amazing as Renko. She wouldn’t have any value to them. Renko was right, this thought of hers was pointless, her attempt would be futile.

“I… don’t want that.” Sumireko voiced out loud. 

“I want to be friends with them. I want Marisa to crack a joke at my expense and tease me like she teased everyone else. I want Sanae to grumble when I do something stupid that we can laugh off together later on. I want Reimu to feel like she could tell me more about herself, and I want to be able to trust Mitsuru.” Sumireko saw Renko shook her head in disapproval at what she said. But she already said too much to stop now.

“And you think you can achieve that, because?” 

“Because...I don’t know! But I just want to be happy here, just like everyone else. They’re all so great, so wonderful, and so...so insane! Why can they have fun when they could die at any moment? I’m so jealous. Why can’t I be like them? I want to be a part of this group too.”

Sumireko felt her thoughts shutting off. She just wanted to go out and say everything she held on her heart now.

“Think, Sumireko. Think about how many ways this will inevitably go wrong. How badly do you want to made fun of again this time?”

“... Then I won’t think. I have to stop thinking. The only thing hindering me is that I’m thinking about this so much. This time I want to succeed. Is it so unreasonable for me to ask for that? I don’t care about Doremy Sweet not giving me super special powers. I just want to be able to joke around with everyone. Is life so unfair that I have no hope for that?” Sumireko panted, her throat felt dry. But she still had so much more to say to Renko. Sumireko thought that she wanted to be exactly like her, but ultimately that was too far away for her to achieve. How could someone like her whose heart fluttered just by interacting with a stranger could hope of becoming like Renko?

“I understand that I need to improve myself, and to reach out to people more. I have to stop thinking it won’t go well, even if that’s exactly what’s going to happen.” Sumireko stopped herself. She was letting that thought come back again. “I just have to start trying again. I’m not hopeless, I can still do something. What I should’ve done was try to bond with Reimu-senpai, instead of ask her what I should do.”

Sumireko stood up and rushed to the door. “I can try right now, Kirisame-senpai and Sanae hadn’t left for too long, I can catch up to them and see what they’re doing. I want to know what they’re doing.”

She looked back to Renko, who now sat on the bed where she was earlier, not saying another word. They maintained eye contact.

“I’ll see what I can do, Renko.” Sumireko broke it and pushed open the door. As she left the hallway, Sumireko imagined that Renko was still there, sitting on the bed, waiting. 

“I am skeptical, but do what you can.”

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking too long. The next chapter will come a lot faster, we promise. This chapter we just ran into a lot of technical issues, that thankfully should have been resolved.
> 
> Hope it's enjoyable!


	13. What Color is Your Path?

X-X-X

### Chapter 10: What Color is Your Path?

The morning class was abuzz with chatter as students waited for homeroom. In the midst of that was Sumireko, sitting alone at the back. She had arrived far earlier than usual and was trying to listen in on what other high school students talked about in their free time. She held her head high but couldn’t make sense of any of it. Celebrities, relationships, and the occasional ‘did you begin yet? It’s due today!’ passed through her ears as complete gibberish.

Sumireko had enough of it and buried her head in her arms on top of her desk, grumbling as she gave up.

“This really isn’t working at all…”

Three days ago Sumireko resolved herself to begin reaching out to other people, yet little progress was made since. Sanae was welcoming of the attempts Sumireko made to converse, but they all ended with Sumireko feeling at a loss, plagued by her inability to figure out how to initiate a conversation with someone else, which always lead to Sanae politely bowing out not long after each time. Reimu was hard to even catch a glimpse of, and Marisa was even more popular than Sanae.

Today, Sumireko was thinking of trying to ‘hang out’ with Sanae again but listening to her classmates demotivated her. They were all talking about things Sumireko couldn’t bring herself to care about. Did Sanae like these things too? Sanae was popular, so she likely had to.

“Is she really, though?” Sumireko was staring at Sanae talking to her three friends in the distance when it occurred to her that she had no idea what Sanae actually liked.

Sumireko struggled to recall that Sanae once said her taste in music was ‘a bit shameful to admit’ and aside from that, that Sanae was way too skilled at air hockey. Outside of those, Sumireko wouldn’t know what topics interested Sanae.

Of course. This was why Sanae always had a strange look when Sumireko attempted to get her to read from her novel collection. It was silly of Sumireko to expect their interests to magically align the moment she wanted to be friends.

Sanae’s conversation over there seemed to have wrapped up. Sumireko was tempted to ask what Sanae’s interests were but stopped herself. That would be too shameful and all too blunt. What if Sanae began thinking that Sumireko was pathetic? What if right now, Sanae already thought of her like that and she was just gossipping about her? Worries manifested again but Sumireko pushed them away. Stop thinking, stop thinking. She repeated to herself.

Sanae was alone now but Sumireko already decided. She would figure out Sanae’s interests on her own. She would observe, find clues, and come to a conclusion all by herself, without letting Sanae know. This was the best choice in this situation. It was more detective-like, anyway.

Having made that resolve, Sumireko kept to herself as class began.

Her first stroke of luck came after classes were over, unexpectedly so.

“Usami-san, Kirijo-senpai told me to bring you somewhere after school. Are you free today?” There she was, Sanae, standing right behind Sumireko as if she was prompted by her worries earlier. Sumireko instinctively tried to hold her usual expression but it was the happiest Sumireko ever felt to have the other girl talk to her.

“Of course! Where to?” Sumireko stood up immediately, almost knocking her desk down.

“A-Ah... Well, I was going to say that I have club activity first, so perhaps after that?”

“Wait, what club are you in?” Sumireko asked, then realized how forward she was being. “Ah, uh…”

Sanae smiled. “I’m in archery. I’m pretty sure I already told you though. But feel free to come by anytime.”

Sanae then left the classroom, leaving Sumireko recoiling by herself. She fell back to her seat.

“Why did I do that…? I should’ve just kept quiet and then followed her later, or even offered to go with her…” It began to dawn on Sumireko how she was acting like a lovestruck teenager. She was very bothered by that. That would be cheating.

Sumireko let out a sigh as she reclined on her seat. Her earlier worries seeped away from her as she rebuilt her composure. The other students left the classroom one by one. “Now, that aside, isn’t this actually a really sweet opportunity?”

Sumireko hadn’t thought about it before, but it was only natural to visit a friend during their club activities. Unless it was a very rigorous sports club, but Sumireko doubted that was the case since it was just archery. It was therefore only a natural course of action to visit Kochiya Sanae at the archery range. It was the perfect pretext to try to get closer. Plus, Sumireko wouldn’t know what to do to kill that time off aside from writing.

...So she did have something to do after all, but she didn’t feel like it at the moment.

Sumireko packed her bag and left for the archery building. She vaguely remembered where it was, although she was quite sure she hadn’t seen it around whenever she explored the school grounds.

“Hm, it’s like, just around here isn’t it?” Sumireko muttered to herself as encouragement, because the longer she looked for the building the more baffling it was that she just couldn’t find it. It’s not like the archery range was outside campus or anything, but before she knew it Sumireko had already finished a walk around the campus (which was very large) and she was back where she started, near the main school building.

“How strange.”

It was hard to imagine herself, but Sumireko had to admit she didn’t know the location. There were still quite a few students around, Sumireko observed. Chances are at least one of them could help her but since Sumireko didn’t know any of them, she hesitated to ask. In the first place she didn’t really know anyone here aside from Sanae. 

When she glanced over to the courtyard, she saw the three girls who were always together with Sanae, sitting and jovially drinking tea. For some reason, there was a special tea table set out in the middle of the area and no one batted an eye to it, like they were all used to such rich antics.

Immediately Sumireko grimaced, but then turned her face away to not show it. She calmed herself and then looked back with as blank an expression as she could possibly manage. At least these three would know where Sanae’s club building is, that was for certain.

“Excuse me.” She approached them. Upon taking a closer look, the three of them consisted of a tall girl with faint blonde stripes accenting her hair who looked to be the leader of them, an auburn-haired girl with a ponytail, and a shorter girl with long black hair.

The blonde one noticed her and replied. “Why, if it isn’t Usami-san. What brings you here?”

“Uh, well…”, Sumireko tried to but she couldn’t remember their names at all. “I was, um, wondering if you knew where the archery range is.”

“Hm, I do actually. Why do you ask?”

“No, nothing really. Just thought to ask. Sorry to bother you then.” Sumireko bowed and prepared herself to turn around and leave the three to their own business.

“Kasukabe Daiya.” The tall blonde said out of the blue.

“Uh…?”

“It was colored all over your face, you don’t remember our names so you were unsure how to inquire to us.” Despite this, the other girl didn’t look very offended, which shocked Sumireko far more.

“Wait, you don’t remember Daiya-san?! She’s THE Daiya, you know?!” The auburn girl in a ponytail next was far more offended. “You’re getting a little arrogant there, new girl!”

“Just because you act a little distant and unapproachable, don’t forget basic manners!” The other girl joined in.

Sumireko was taken back. “I don’t mean to...”

“Hana, Haibara.” The tallest one in blonde spoke again, interrupting their vitriol with just a single utterance. Then ‘Daiya-san’ turned back to Sumireko.

“The archery range is that way.” Sumireko was pointed towards the direction of the right building.

“...Thank you.” Sumireko barely got out a word of thanks. She wanted to get this over with; Sumireko was never the type to be comfortable dealing with someone like this. It somewhat reminded her of Mitsuru.

Daiya acknowledged it and turned around, signalling to her posse to leave with her. They were Sanae’s friends, but Sumireko felt that they were nothing alike to the kind and approachable Sanae.

Wait, they were Sanae’s friends.

“Um… Daiya-san, actually there is one more thing.” Sumireko raised her voice again before hurriedly approaching the three. The person turned around, looking at her questioningly. “It might be a bit odd to ask, but…um...”

“What troubles you again, Usami?” Daiya’s expression remained stern, but she didn’t show any unwillingness to help. That helped boost Sumireko’s confidence, but she couldn’t help but also notice the honorific was dropped.

“Do you know what Sanae likes?” Riding on that confidence, Sumireko blurted out her words without thinking much.

“Are you going to ask her for a date?” Daiya’s eyebrows were raised in an unpleasant way. Sumireko could only sigh. It seemed that she really was acting like a lovestruck teen.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Sumireko almost disclosed her reason, but refrained at the last moment. “Just things like her favorite music or hobbies or anything. I’m planning a surprise for her, so please don’t tell her I asked.”

It was a lie Sumireko hoped would work. She also hoped that the three won’t spill the beans to Sanae though, or else she’d have to keep her word.

“Her birthday is still one month away, no?”

Sumireko began to sweat. She feared Daiya would dig into her motive further. However, the other girl’s questioning gaze disappeared moments later, to the confusion of Sumireko and Daiya’s pair of sycophants. “I don’t think I would know much more than you do. We are quite close, but certainly, Sanae rarely talks about her interests to us. Occasionally we talk about recent movies, but she is rather reserved in that regard. I suppose that is all I can say. Now if you may, the three of us will leave now.”

“Thanks a lot, Daiya-san.” Sumireko bowed in gratitude, relieved that she was not getting herself into bigger trouble and glad that she could hold conversation with someone like Daiya. As she got up, she caught a glimpse of Daiya smiling at her. Teasingly.

“I wish you good luck with Sanae.”

_Damn it._ Sumireko let out a loud groan as Daiya and her cheerleaders left the scene before leaving herself, following Daiya’s direction. As Sumireko ran to the archery range, she wondered how quickly the school might begin to think that she and Sanae were in a relationship. That sounded so strange to think about, but Sumireko was sure that when it came to love her heart was still steadfast for Maribel.

When she arrived in the archery range, Sumireko could feel something odd in the air. The range was not very occupied. There was an occasional sound of an arrow or two hitting the target but they were nowhere as frequent as they should be for such a large building. Sumireko hesitated again for a moment, but realizing that the solace would only benefit her, she went inside, only to see Sanae talking with someone else. Sumireko vaguely recalled this girl as the one that dragged Sanae away for club activity last week.

“Takeba-san, that makes the sixth bullseye for today’s session.”

“Still not good enough.” The one called Takeba, the girl wearing the pink cardigan made an audible groan before she noticed Sumireko’s presence. “Oh, aren’t you Sanae’s friend?”

“Um… yeah. Usami Sumireko, nice to meet you.”

“Oh?” Takeba raised her eyebrows seeing Sumireko’s awkward reaction, but then smiled. “Then, my name’s Takeba Yukari. Nice to meet you too.”

“Ah, Usami-san! Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m almost done, actually.” Sanae noticed Sumireko’s presence this time. “I said feel free to, but I can’t believe you actually came!”

Sumireko wasn’t sure how to reply to that, so she instead looked around the range. It was very spacious, which stood in stark contrast to the small number of people present. Even though the range was built to let sunlight in, the place felt colorless. It must not be a very popular club.

“Usami-san?”

“Ah, sorry.” Sumireko turned her gaze back to the two.

“Earth to Usami, are you there?” Takeba laughed. Sumireko’s expression flustered, prompting Yukari to shake her head. “Funny, Sanae’s also spacing out a lot today.”

“Takeba-san, let’s not talk about it.”

“Well alright then. You were definitely out of it today though.” Takeba shrugged.

Sanae looked at both of them, but didn’t say anything else. Takeba was staring at Sumireko with moderate interest, and Sumireko herself felt this was her chance to take the initiative in the conversation for once.

“Uh… well, this place sure is abandoned! Where’s everyone else?”

The sullen look on the other two girls’ faces told Sumireko that was the wrong thing to say.

“Truth is, our club isn’t doing so well. Too many quitters.” Takeba folded her arms and sighed. “The boys only joined because Sanae and I are here, and once they have to actually attend practice they drop out like flies. And the girls, they left as well once there’s actual sweat involved. None of them have any spine.”

“You mean, the girls only joined because Arisato-san is here but he never attends.” 

“Shut up, Sanae!” Takeba reached out to smack Sanae, but she dodged it. Sanae’s grin widened while Takeba’s face turned there times redder.”Just because he’s so good at everything doesn’t mean he can just never show up! I’ll kick him off the club if this goes on.”

“We’re already struggling for members as is though…”

Takeba nodded, and then patted Sanae on the shoulder. “...You can pack up. I don’t think we’ll be doing anything further today, so go with Usami here. You two have plans, right?”

“Are you sure, Takeba-san? I’ll help you clean up.”

“It’s fine, don’t keep your guest waiting. You’re too polite for your own good, really.” Yukari gestured to Sumireko, who stood there listening in on the exchange.

Upon having attention drawn to her, Sumireko stuttered. She was glad to not have to deal with the awkward feeling of being present at a conversation that didn’t involve herself, but this wasn’t much better. “Well, it’s fine really. I, I can wait a little longer.”

“...No, if Takeba-san is offering, let’s go. I’ll treat you to something later.” Looking very happy, Sanae quickly pushed Sumireko and herself and made their way to the door.

“I’ll hold you to that, Sanae!” From behind, Sumireko heard Takeba shout. Then they were outside the building. Sanae let go, and then spoke. “I’ll need to quickly go and get changed. Let’s meet up by the gate.”

“A-Alright.” Sumireko answered, feeling a little nervous.

Sanae paused a little, and then added. “Takeba-san’s a very nice person, isn’t she? I don’t think you were as nervous with her as with other strangers.”

Upon hearing that, Sumireko felt a little vulnerable, being figured out so well. “Well, you’re not wrong.”

“Mhm.” Sanae ran to the changing room a little distance away. Sumireko took that as her cue to make her way to the school gate.

X-X-X

“The police? What are we doing here?” Sumireko looked at Sanae with a questioning gaze when the first thing Sanae did upon arriving at Paulownia Mall was to drag her to the police box. Sumireko had never been to one before and she couldn’t help but wonder, perhaps rightfully so, what she had done to be visiting here of all places. It was at least kind of neat, she thought. To be inside a police box up close. She wondered if this would be good reference for her own writing later.

“Kirijo-san wanted to introduce you to one of our contacts here. Not to mention, you still need a weapon, right?”

“Isn’t this ille-”

“Shh. He’ll explain it to you when he comes.” Sanae put a finger to Sumireko’s mouth to shut her up. The office was empty aside for the two of them, who sat down and waited until a man finally came in through the backdoor. He was a tall and intimidating person with a lanky but firm build and his gaze went right through the two of them. Sumireko could feel her will to talk plummet.

“Usami-san, he is Officer Kurosawa. He’s an ally, so you don’t have to look so scared here.” Sanae introduced the police officer with a light tone. The officer stepped in and sat down on the couch in front of the two. “It’s been a while, Kurosawa-san.”

“Is this the newcomer girl Kirijo I heard about?” Officer Kurosawa’s voice was as unfriendly as his appearance, although he seemed to know Mitsuru. That calmed Sumireko a little.

“Yes, she’s the one. Come, introduce yourself.” Sanae nudged her.

“...Usami Sumireko. Nice to meet you.”

Officer Kurosawa nodded. “A quiet one.”

“You’ll have to forgive her.” Sanae continued to face Sumireko. “Officer Kurosawa is our weapons supplier. The Kirijo Group funds our expenses as SEES, and part of that is making sure we’re all properly equipped. That’s where he comes in. Your new spear that’ll be shipped to the dorm later tonight, that comes from him and the police department as well.”

Sumireko couldn’t help but question the legality of it all.

“Kochiya, tone down your voice. In the end, this is still strictly illegal.” Officer Kurosawa confirmed her doubts. Sumireko felt like she was dealing with a smuggler, and that was never a good thing. The man seemed to notice Sumireko’s anxiety though. “Even if it is illegal, it’s something I decided to do. It’s not hard to notice something is going on in this city that the police force can’t handle on their own. So, it is my job to help your organization as much as I can to keep this city safe.”

Sumireko felt her doubts on this man fade away, and nodded. 

“Oh, right. Kirijo-senpai also asked me to give you this.” Sanae handed Sumireko a sealed envelope. Sumireko opened it and was surprised to see quite a significant amount of money inside. The amount was not something too outrageous that would allow her to buy a firearm or anything, but it was still a lot. Sumireko was not used to someone giving her money, especially for no reason.

“She said it’s for your weapon, the payment and delivery will be handled by the Kirijo Group to ensure security.”

“Wait, I have to pay for it?”

“No, I was kidding. It’s just an allowance from Kirijo-senpai.” Sanae giggled. “Since SEES eats up a lot of time you could spend working part-time, and it’s not like Shadows are going to drop money or anything.” 

Right. Of course Miss Heiress had a lot of money to fund whatever SEES might get themselves into. Gekkoukan was downright lavish compared to most high schools, and even their dorm was unnecessarily big and stacked. It was hard to believe that the Kirijo Group relied on only four teenage girls to save the world.

“I guess…” Sumireko hesitantly accepted the envelope. “Will that be all?”

“Yes. Today was just to have you meet Officer Kurosawa. To give you an idea of the people we’ll be working with.” Sanae stood up and retrieved her bag. “We’ll come by again if something happens, Officer.”

“You girls take care.” Kurosawa nodded. Stoic but reliable, that was the feeling Sumireko had of him. The two were outside the police box before they knew it, now with nothing left to do on their schedule.

“Hey Sanae.” After a while of silence, Sumireko spoke up. “Do you want to eat somewhere?”

Thinking about it, Sumireko didn’t know what kind of food Sanae liked either. But what was on her mind then was how to spend the generous amount of money she had just received. It didn’t make her feel very good to suddenly have so much, especially considering the source of that money.

“I can treat you to something.”

“No, you don’t have to!”

Sanae waved her hands but Sumireko didn’t listen to her. To quell this sudden unexpected feeling of guilt, Sumireko wasn’t going to take a no as an answer. Sumireko grabbed her by the wrist and began walking around the mall. “There has to be something you’d like here, right? Last time I ate sushi with Hakurei-senpai but I don’t think that’s around here. There’s the cafe, and I’m sure there’s something else as well.”

“...Well, if you insist, the cafe is good enough.” Sanae’s voice had a small hint of hesitation with it.

X-X-X

Once again they went to Chagall’s. To Sumireko this place was becoming as common a sight as Gekkoukan itself and that couldn’t be good, especially for her wallet. She did have a lot of cash for once, so much she would rather not specify the amount, so she was more than willing to spend this time.

“Welcome back.” One of the waitresses greeted her. Sumireko nodded politely, and they were taken to a table near the window with a good view.

Sanae found that to be commentable. “You come here so often they remember you.”

Sumireko vaguely remembered when she met the adult Ruri-san at this very cafe earlier, and looked around hoping to see her. The cafe however was not very packed, it was closer to being empty. ‘Ruri-nee’ was nowhere to be found. “Well, this place has its downtime too, huh.”

“Actually, lately it’s been downtime here more often than not.” The waitress interjected as she brought the two girls’ orders. “During rush hour we’re still packed, but there’s been less customers as of late, it’s a little concerning.”

The only other customer aside from the two of them, was a lone man sitting further away. His gaze was blank and it didn’t seem as if anything registered to him.

“Is that one of the Lost you told me about that one time?” Sumireko asked, carefully as to not mention the Abyss to the waitress next to them.

“Um, perhaps.” Sanae’s expression turned a little sour too.

“The Lost, huh? They’re all over the news lately.” The waitress chimed in. They took a closer look at the man, he was wearing a typical salaryman suit and his hair was greying and balding. It looked like he was muttering something over and over.

“Or maybe not. I think that’s just a regular working adult, uh, a regular salaryman. I think I can hear him saying something about stocks falling and the recession.” The waitress pointed out.

“Aha…” Sumireko wasn’t sure what to say.

“Ah, I shouldn’t be ranting here. Enjoy the meal.” The waitress then walked away.

“I couldn’t tell at all. Could you, Usami-san?”

“I guess not. Let’s eat.” Sumireko’s fork went straight for the blueberry tart. Sanae went for a pricier full-sized strawberry cream cake. When she saw Sumireko grimacing at her, Sanae smiled.

“Since you’re treating me, I may as well order something pricier than usual.” If not for her smile that emitted no ill will, Sumireko would be a lot angrier.

“Well, it’s a good way to spend all this money, so sure.” Sumireko grumbled to herself and continued eating her tart. It was then her turn to notice the other side staring at her, this time with a smile.

“You’re more humble than I thought, Usami-san. You don’t feel very good receiving all that money without any conditions to it.” Sanae made the comment before she went to enjoy her dessert.

“Of course I’m not happy about it. That’s why I want to spend all of it as soon as I can.”

“Well, since SEES is a dangerous activity, it’s only right we get compensated for it. Although this is out of Kirijo-senpai’s own pocket rather than the Kirijo Group’s expenses.”

“That’s really weird, isn’t it? The way SEES operates.” Upon being prompted, Sumireko suddenly remembered something that had been bothering her for a while. “How do you guys operate? If you’re a school club, then SEES didn’t exist until Hakurei-senpai and Kirijo-senpai entered high school.”

“I’m not too sure myself.” Sanae didn’t seem to pay much thought to it, and dug into her enormous cake. “It’s not like we need to be a school club to patrol around town at night, it just makes certain things more convenient, like documents and so on.”

“It doesn’t seem like we’ve been doing any of that though.” They’d only been diving into the Abyss. And there was that time when Sumireko was attacked on the roof. “That reminds me, are there usually Shadows like that? The one that night when I first summoned my Persona.”

“No, that was the first time for me as well. And from the way they reacted, I don’t think any of the seniors have seen something so large before.” Sanae frowned. Sumireko wasn’t sure what to make of that. “Usually it’s only small Shadows we encounter on patrols.”

Sumireko couldn’t tell either. In the end, her little inquiry couldn’t get her anything very useful.

Sanae then added, having just remembered. “Also, Usami-san, you haven’t been patrolling because you’re still new. Hakurei-senpai’s the one doing all the night shifts since you’ve joined. Well, in the first place, she’s the one who does the majority of the shifts.”

Sumireko could believe it. Reimu’s ability to fight was unrivaled. “Although… when does Hakurei-senpai sleep, if that’s the case?”

Sanae couldn’t answer.

The two of them decided it was best not to pursue that line of conversation further. Again, Sumireko felt like she was at a loss. Without a new conversation topic, this outing would turn into a waste… Then she thought of something.

“You like archery a lot?”

“I do think it’s enjoyable, yes.” Yet again, Sanae’s expression seemed to be agonizing a little. “It’s just, with such a small club it gets a little lonely.” After another bite, Sanae spoke again. “That reminds me, you aren’t in a club yet. Won’t you consider joining, Usami-san?”

“Me? Join the archery club?”

“Of course, I won’t pressure you into joining.” Sanae waved her fork with the cake on it around, very eagerly. “I just think it’d be nice if you were there for practice.”

It was a very attractive proposal. She’d become club mates with Sanae, and they’d be able to get closer that way.

“Can you let me think about it a bit?” Sumireko wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t tell Sanae yes.

“Take all the time you need.” Sanae nodded as she ate her cake slice.

It was then that Sumireko realized that she was eating with Sanae. And that she had just asked Sanae out for dinner, or close to it. She had been so concerned with her newly received sum of money she wasn’t thinking straight. “A-Ah.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well, I suppose this would be the perfect time to ask, but at the same time that’s a little risky…” Sumireko uttered to herself, then spoke up. “It’s nothing.”

The conversation didn’t proceed much further by the time the two girls finished their dessert and paid their bills. In the end, Sumireko was still left with a decent sum of money. She thought she might save it for later, since she wasn’t sure what else to use it for.

“Let’s go home then, Sanae…?” When Sumireko looked behind, Sanae was busy staring at a shop from afar. Sumireko followed her gaze across the fountain and saw it was an anime specialty store, with a large plastic model of a robot hoisted at the storefront. It was a small store off to the side, hard to notice when it was surrounded by so many other, flashier stores around. Then Sanae seemed to notice she was called, and turned her gaze away.

“Right, let’s go home, Usami-san.”

Sumireko pretended not to see it, but now she had an inkling as to what Sanae was interested in.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A more downbeat chapter this time, the next full moon fight shouldn't be too long from now.


	14. Hypothesis 8

X-X-X

### Chapter 11: Hypothesis 8

A few nights later, Sumireko was asked whether she’d like to try going on patrol. Exploring the Abyss was important, but even more than that was keeping the peace of the town, or so Sanae enthusiastically suggested. Without a reason to refuse, Sumireko accepted. That night, Sumireko and Reimu set out.

Walking around town with their weapons out during the Dark Hour was a surreal experience. Her new spear in hand, Sumireko followed after Reimu as they strolled. The occasional Shadow popped up, and quickly and efficiently Reimu would eliminate it, reducing Sumireko’s role to a mere onlooker. She didn’t particularly mind it though.

“Hakurei-senpai.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“How often do you actually find someone awake during the Dark Hour?”

“Not often. We do this more to lower the number of Shadows around.” As she said that, Reimu spotted another Shadow nearby and pulled her Evoker.

Sumireko simply stared at the older girl as she swiftly dealt with the Shadow, summoning a Persona she had never seen before to blast it with lightning. A devil-like feminine Persona, clad in an outfit that made Sumireko blush a little. “Ah.”

Sumireko saw that behind Reimu was another Shadow, ready to leap. Sumireko’s hand went to grip her Evoker, and although she felt a cold sweat at the sight of it, she pulled the trigger easily. After all, it wasn’t Sumireko the Shadow was near to.

“Bufu!” Ice formed around the second Shadow far away and disrupted its movements. The next moment, a needle pierced it and it exploded. Sumireko turned her gaze to see that the Shadow was already a mere stain on the ground.

“I appreciate the help,” Reimu told her.

“No, no matter how you look at it, you didn’t need my help at all…”

Reimu shrugged before halting. Sumireko wondered what was up, but Reimu was faster than her. In a flash, she pulled out her Evoker and summoned Seimei this time. The Persona blasted a Shadow creeping from a nearby alley with Hama, killing it instantly.

“It’s a bad time for you to try patrolling, however.” Reimu was still on alert, her Evoker still held close to her head. “The number of Shadows has been increasing as of late, it’s getting dangerous.”

“If they’re only this strong, I think we can deal with them.” Another Shadow crept in from a nearby sewer. This time, it was Sumireko who saw it first and hacked at it with her spear, utilizing its length to keep it away. Reimu finished it off with a needle shot.

“Overconfidence will kill you before any Shadow can.” Reimu reprimanded her before forming a rare smile. She went closer towards Sumireko and patted her on the back. “To be cocky means you’re getting better, at least.”

“T-thank you.” Sumireko awkwardly nodded. She didn’t mean to, but perhaps her statement really was a sign of her growing cocky. Even so, being praised for once, and by Reimu of all people, made her feel elated.

_~”The Dark Hour will end in fifteen minutes. Are you both done yet?”~_ Mitsuru’s static voice buzzed from their hearing device.

“No casualties here,” Reimu answered her. “Usami could use another fight or two, then we’ll return.”

_~”No. Return now. There’s a possibility that the Dark Hour will end before you two are finished, and we cannot risk that.”~_

“It won’t be a problem.”

_~”And I’m saying it will be, Hakurei.”~_

“Don’t be unreasonable, Mitsuru. It is well within my ability to supervise one more fight within that time unless this drags any further.” Reimu spoke slowly and clearly, without a hint of hesitation.

_~”...How are you feeling, Usami?”~_

Now wedged between the two, Sumireko panicked and picked the easier option, “I’m feeling tired, so it would be nice to return, yes...”

Reimu glanced over her, then nodded. “In that case, we’ll head over there.”

They were to regroup near Iwatodai Station. It was not that far away from their current location, but Reimu opted to take a more roundabout path. She kept her usual cool expression, but Sumireko caught a hint of frustration for a moment on her face.

The trip back was silent. Sumireko felt that she should ask her senior something more personal now that they were alone together. It was a chance to get to know her.

“So...” Sumireko began to trail on, but Reimu’s focused expression intimidated her. Sumireko readied herself and grasped her spear tighter.

A scream broke the silence.

_~”A concentration of shadows detected on the alley to your left. Be careful!”~_

With a firm ‘alright’, Reimu nodded and rushed towards the pointed alley with Sumireko trailing behind. It was unusual, Sumireko thought. Earlier that night, Reimu was more careful to engage an enemy, but with that scream earlier, she quickly flew forward. That would mean that-

The moment Sumireko peeked into the alley, she saw why. In the midst of many standing coffins was a teenage girl lying on the ground, with several blob-type Shadows creeping on her. The black blobs made a nasty, wet crunching noise as they bubbled up and down, ignoring their surroundings entirely. Reimu had wasted no time and summoned Seimei to lift herself to a nearby concrete wall before firing off her needles downwards. The cold metal pierced several of the Shadows, slowing them down but not dealing significant enough damage.

“Usami! Draw their attention away from the girl!” She shouted.

Sumireko shook out of the sudden tension but displayed her acknowledgment of Reimu’s directive by charging forward with her spear ready. She maneuvered through the coffins and summoned Renko while the Shadows were distracted by Reimu’s attacks.

Time slowed down. The next three seconds split into five each. Sumireko stabbed the nearest Shadow thrice in succession. Noticing one was too far away from her, she fired her Evoker once more. Renko responded to her by impaling the Shadow with several icicles. That marked the end of her ability’s duration, as time resumed its normal flow. Both Shadows convulsed violently before dissipating.

However, in her flurry Sumireko had put herself in the midst of the swarm. Sumireko once again felt fear surging inside of her, but she remained steadfast. Her grip on her spear became tighter to calm herself. With her right hand, she fired her Evoker again, hitting one of the three remaining Shadows with Bufu, damaging it severely.

One of the Shadows leaped at her, but she avoided it narrowly, its appendages scratching her legs. Blood trickled through the wound into her shoes. Through the pain, Sumireko called Renko forth again, who pulled her harp to bash the Shadow into the nearby wall, opening the way for Sumireko to finish the weakened Shadow from earlier.

"Lilim!"

As she turned around to the last one, Reimu had finished it off with a blast of fire from the demon-like Persona, not unlike Marisa’s Agi. The last of the Shadow melted into nothingness, and Reimu dropped down to the ground.

Sumireko’s elation turned into confusion as she noticed no celebratory expression coming off Reimu. She healed Sumireko's injury with Pixie's Dia without saying anything, and Sumireko gaze trailed as Reimu approached the girl on the ground immediately after.

“...She’s still alive, right?”

“Yes, but we were too late.”

Reimu turned the body over, its weight didn’t resist against her. The girl’s body wasn’t very heavily injured, just a few scratches on her legs and arms. Sumireko peered into the victim’s eyes, but it began rolled around before freezing open, and then nothing. An unnatural bliss carved on her face. The victim was still breathing, but she made no other movements. Sumireko recoiled backward.

“She’s now Lost. We can do nothing more for her.” Reimu placed her on the ground with the gentlest care, making sure her clothes didn’t get stained from the black mud. When she stood up, Sumireko saw Reimu looking genuinely angry for the very first time, different from her earlier frustration.

_~”...You both did your best. She is still alive. Leave the place before anyone notices you with your weapons.”~_

The two did so. There wouldn’t be any more fighting that night. As they left the scene, Sumireko turned to Reimu. She was still shaken up. Something about the victim’s empty smile, and how it all unfolded before her own eyes made the experience feel uncomfortably intimate to her. Even worse that she felt like she wasn’t able to do anything about it. She wanted to ask Reimu that they maybe should carry her to safety, but with the many coffins around the victims, there would be many people around her once the Dark Hour ended. And for Reimu and Mitsuru, that probably would be good enough.

In the end, the only question Sumireko could voice was something entirely different. “How long have you been exterminating Shadows?”

Reimu didn’t pause her step, but she looked back and met Sumireko eye-to-eye. Then she looked back forward.

The rest of the way back ended in awkward silence.

X-X-X

_May 4th, 2009  
Monday_

The bell rang to signal the end of classes for the day.

Sumireko stood up, packed up and left the classroom as she usually did. She wanted to be alone, but not because she didn’t feel like she belonged in class. Last night still left her drained, and, more than that, unsettled.

“Usami-san, where are you going?” Sanae’s head popped up from inside the classroom. “Do you want to walk back together?”

“Today I have something else...” Sumireko’s voice trailed off before she turned away from Sanae. She really did want to go with Sanae, but not today.

“Well, alright, I suppose that’s convenient for me too,” Sanae said, to herself more than to Sumireko. “See you then.”

Sumireko nodded. She couldn’t tell if that was how friends usually treated each other, but she felt that the past few days since, the two of them had been treating each other much more jovially than before. She hoped for that to continue.

Now unhindered, Sumireko walked out of school grounds and headed to the station. Her destination was once again Paulownia Mall. It was almost relaxing how often she went there. More specifically, to Chagall Cafe.

Just half an hour later, or so it felt, Sumireko arrived and opened the cafe door to see that it was just as vacant as the past few days. The waitress recognized Sumireko well enough that Sumireko wondered if she might just bring the usual without her ordering it; a serving of Pheromone Coffee with a slice of cake on the side. Speaking of the coffee, it didn’t seem to actually make her more charismatic or appealing as advertised. At least, the blend itself was enjoyable or she wouldn’t order it all the time. Especially not because she hoped that it would work one day. Sumireko decided to take the seat closest to the window.

The scenery outside of the window was dreary. Sumireko let out a sigh, the lack of crowd dampening her mood for once.

The mall had been noticeably quieter than usual the past few days. Sumireko loosened herself as she looked outside of the window, accompanied by the tune of soft piano music playing on the cafe’s speakers. Earlier she saw that the lines on the arcade were noticeably short compared to usual on Mondays, and there were just fewer and fewer people walking around with shopping bags on their arms. Sumireko shrugged at the sight before she called out for the waitress to make her order.

It couldn’t be helped. The Lost had been increasing in number lately, so Reimu had said. It probably ruined everyone’s mood to go out and enjoy their day. The recent recession might contribute too, but economics was not a subject Sumireko had any inkling about, so she didn’t worry about it, as long as her aunt could keep sending her monthly allowance.

“Eh, less people should be better for me. That just means I can enjoy this place in peace.”

Her attempt to make friends notwithstanding, Sumireko still found solitude helpful when she wasn’t thinking straight. It was hard to put the thoughts of the Lost aside, and her fatigue only made it worse. Since the morning, she had been looking for information about the Lost online, but even in the depth of imageboards, it seemed that the phenomenon was strictly tied to Iwatodai, and barely any research had been done into it, even by the supernatural community.

“Ah, detective, long time no see.”

Just as Sumireko placed her cup down, someone entered the cafe and after looking around excitedly, noticed her. It was a dark blue-haired woman clad in a strange conspicuous black-and-white attire, with a cat-like smile adorning her face. She walked over to Sumireko, “This should be our fourth meeting now, I believe.”

Sumireko couldn’t tell who she was at first. She was not the blue-haired woman she wished to see, that part was clear. But she had a difficulty recalling who this person was outside of that until the realization dawned to her. Her mouth went agape and her hands loosened. Had she held a cup, she would have dropped it. “You are… Doremy Sweet, right?”

“I’m glad you remember me. Of course, I remember you as well, dear guest.” Before Sumireko could speak, Doremy gestured to the open seat in front of Sumireko. “May I join you?”

Sumireko looked at the seat with as much disgust as she could, but she nodded. The situation had taken a turn to the irrational. In front of her, ordering a cup of coffee and some sweets, was the Velvet Room attendant from her dreams. Someone who seemed so unreal yet was able to converse with the waitress as if the two had been friends for years.

“That would be all.” Doremy finally finished with her order, a surprisingly long list of various desserts. The waitress shifted her gaze towards Sumireko, showing concern for her apparent discomfort, which touched her a little.

Sumireko nodded to her with a somewhat forced smile. The waitress, relieved, went to the back to prepare for her orders.

“You should relax, that’s what cafes are for, from what I gathered.” Doremy started the conversation once the waitress went away. Sumireko frowned; Doremy always seemed to be able to read her mind, and it only made her more of a pain to deal with. Doremy continued, “It may be hard to believe, but this truly is a coincidence. I simply seek a luxurious respite, indulging myself in the joy of sugary paradise at this establishment.”

Sumireko cleared her throat to finally speak, “I’ll be blunt. Do you actually exist? How can you even be out here?”

“Well, why can’t I be?”

“That’s…” How could Sumireko even begin to respond?

“I suppose I can say this. There is actually a door to the Velvet Room right inside this mall complex. It’s in an alleyway next to the police box over there.” Doremy pointed in the general direction and Sumrieko’s gaze followed. As they were inside the cafe though, she couldn’t see a thing. Doremy giggled. “It is rather boorish to be stuck in my room all day, so I decided to get some fresh air.”

“I’m terrified how that sounds like a line a regular shut-in might say.”

“A shut-in? Is that some kind of window shutter?”

Sumireko decided to ignore that. “Then, what do you want? Why visit me in the real world? In this cafe?”

Their order arrived at that time, and Doremy’s attention left Sumireko, focusing instead on the food in front of her.

“Listen to me!”

Doremy frowned. “Do not make me repeat myself. It is pure coincidence that I happen to be visiting this cafe in the real world that you also happen to visit regularly. The location of the door to the Velvet Room is outside my control. It’s placed wherever is most convenient for the Wild Cards to use. Since I am stationed here, it is only natural I visit stores within this mall, is it not?”

Sumireko felt like her brains were being scrambled. Her hands unruffled her hair out of irritation. Another sigh. “So can I assume you’re not here to deliver some ominous premonition of things to come? That seems to be a common development.”

“No, I won’t be the one doing that.”

“...Alright.” Finally, Sumireko grasped the cup of coffee on her side of the table and drank it. The content was still very hot and Sumireko winced as she felt it burnt her tongue a little.

“Hmm…” Doremy’s gaze went outside of the cafe, looking around at the scenery beyond the glass windows. Her attention was taken with something. “Half-asleep and half-awake, they are quite unsightly, don’t you think?”

“What are you talking about?” Sumireko peered outside but didn’t find anything of interest. Sumireko saw the ghoul-like Lost standing around outside and averted her gaze, only to see Doremy smiling at her.

“As you can see, I am referring to them. The ones you call the Lost.” Taking a small cut of her cake to her mouth, Doremy took the time to savor its taste before continuing, her eyes were now on Sumireko. Even if it was supposed to be a casual conversation between the two, Doremy’s excessive politeness was unnerving. “As much as they were unrelated to the task I have taken for myself here, I can’t help but watch them with pity.”

“Mmh.” Sumireko nodded. It was unpleasant to imagine losing oneself to the Shadows. Sumireko would rather not remember the details of what she saw last night.

“No, not that.” Doremy rebutted. “I was wondering why they were choosing to live in their own enclosed dream like this. But perhaps, it is really more pleasant to them than to face life as it is.”

Sumireko went silent. They were victims of the Shadows, yet Doremy said they chose to be like this? That couldn’t sit right for her. Doremy blamed them for being attacked. That made no sense, Doremy in her entirety made no sense.

Her head filled with various thoughts, Sumireko raised her voice.

“Right. There is one last thing I’ve been wondering about.” Her voice was firm. Ever since her first meeting with this strange individual, there was always one thing that went through Sumireko’s mind, but only now was she able to figure out what she wanted to say here.

“Doremy Sweet, _what are you?_ ”

“The host of the Velvet Room and your guide. Treat me as nothing more, for your own sake.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Sumireko stood up, looking more agitated. “You look human, but you’re anything but.”

“Some things are better off not known.” Doremy’s expression remained unchanging, unconcerned even as Sumireko raised her voice. Her smile became tender at this moment, yet somehow it creeped Sumireko out more. “But if my humanity is your concern, I can answer that you should not worry about it. I am more human than even you, or anyone else inside of this cafe.”

Sumireko went silent.

It took half a minute before she spoke again.

“That’s it. I’m leaving.”

Sumireko packed her belongings and walked away, not hiding her hurried steps. _I hope this will be the last._ Sumireko thought, but she knew that Doremy would just appear to her whenever she liked.

“Then, farewell. Do keep in mind that you are still welcome in the Velvet Room should you wish to pay me a visit.” Doremy’s voice still retained its pleasant tone even now. Sumireko thought to herself that she would never want to return there willingly.

“And lastly, I wish you luck in your attempt to connect with your friends.”

X-X-X

“I’m back.” Sumireko walked into the dorm, saying her greeting to no-one in particular. It was five in the evening and understandably, nobody was home yet. Sanae was still doing archery, Marisa was probably hanging out somewhere at this hour, and Reimu was likely also doing her own thing. Whatever that may be.

The television was turned on, however. The screen showed a newscaster speaking. The nation’s economy continued its decline due to the global recession, or so she said. But Sumireko didn’t care about that. The fact that the TV was on, however, made her curious. Outside of Marisa, Sumireko couldn’t think anyone else who would be sloppy enough to leave the TV on. Sumireko herself had little interest in watching the TV. Both books and the internet provided her with what she needed better, and she could get only the information she wanted too.

Her opinion aside, someone was definitely here recently. Maybe it really was one of the SEES members, in which case… she thought perhaps talking to them would be nice. It would help distract her while also giving her someone better than Doremy to talk to. She decided to wait on the sofa reading instead of heading upstairs. Her decision was rewarded just a few minutes later.

“Ah, it’s good to see you, Usami.” Rather than a teenage girl’s voice, however, the one that greeted her was the Chairman and primary adviser of SEES himself, Ikutsuki Shuji, coming out of the kitchen. Sumireko hadn’t seen him since her initiation into SEES. She meant no offense, but she felt that his presence was somewhat forgettable, especially when next to Mitsuru. With his dreary brown suit and the lighting of the dorm’s living room, the chairman blended right in.

“I uh, didn’t expect to see you here, Chairman.”

The chairman laughed, his voice carrying a gentleness to them. “I suppose that is understandable. Are you having a good time so far in Gekkoukan?”

“I...guess you can say that.” It could be a lot worse, Sumireko mumbled. Sumireko thought of bowing out and leaving for her room, but Ikutsuki continued before she could.

“Hm, did something happen?” Ikutsuki’s gaze became more focused on her. “You seem troubled, at the very least, to me.”

“No, it’s nothing.” But Sumireko stopped herself. Her gaze met with the Chairman’s. He would be very knowledgeable about the situation here. Maybe he could give some answers. “No, actually, there are a few things I was trying to figure out.”

“Hm? Well then, let’s sit and talk.” Ikutsuki sat down. “Please don’t worry. The other girls are outside, so nothing said here will be known to anyone else. Unless you want it to be.”

Sumireko wanted to readjust her posture until she was comfortable, but with an older man in front of her she didn’t have the guts to, so she pushed her hands and feet together and remained silent.

“Hm… where to begin? I don’t know what answers I can provide you with, that Mitsuru and the others haven’t already.” The chairman mumbled to himself, “We may as well start with a tart, heh. Please give me a moment.”

He stood up and returned to the kitchen, grabbed a tea set he had evidently prepared, and placed it on the small table between them. Two cups, a teapot with boiling water, and a slice of tart on a plate placed in front of Sumireko. It took all of Sumireko’s willpower to not look in the chairman’s direction, who seemed to be waiting for a reaction. Instead, she went straight with a question.

“I was talking with Sanae the other day about this. How long has SEES existed for?”

“Hm. Before that, can you tell me the context of that question you discussed with Kochiya earlier?” Ikutsuki’s voice was curious but not demanding. Sumireko found it not very difficult to talk to him.

“It was um... when Sanae took me to the police box at Paulownia. We were wondering how the organization was operating to have the police colluding with them.”

Ikutsuki nodded, “I see. It is a fair question, to a mystery that must’ve caused you some strife of mind.” When Ikutsuki grinned to himself again, Sumireko wondered if there was supposed to be a joke hidden in there somewhere. “It may sound a little simplistic, but our activities have the full support of the Kirijo Group. That means all the funding and connections and everything else needed to help you girls. Despite having all this, why do you think we’re such a small group?”

“Hm...” Sumireko came to an answer rather quickly, but feigned ignorance for an extra few seconds before replying. “Because… there’s only so many people with the potential.”

“Exactly.” Ikutsuki nodded, and quickly readjusted his glasses just before they fell off. “The number of personnel we have who can enter the Dark Hour is very small. It took a lot of effort to develop the training needed for someone without the potential to enter it. Someone like me. And of the people we have who can summon a Persona, it is truly limited to just you girls.”

Sumireko was about to speak up, to say he wasn’t answering her inquiry. But Ikutsuki smiled to reassure her he was getting to it. “Until recently, we could only rely on Hakurei and Kirisame to fight the Shadows. Right now, we have Kochiya and of course, you, but that was not the case a few years ago. Back before they entered high school there was no reason for SEES to exist as a school club. We saw it fit to establish it mostly out of convenience. If one of them wanted to do a little less school work, we could use the club as an excuse for that. It’s the least we can do for them, although they don’t seem to be needing it very much.”

“Of course, if you feel that you need it, the same privilege extends to you and Kochiya as well.” He quickly added.

Sumireko immediately became excited at the prospect of skipping school every now and then.

“But only if you can convince Mitsuru.”

Her hopes fell.

“Does that answer your concern?”

“I… A little. Can I ask the next question?”

“Feel free.” The chairman replied. Sumireko found herself smiling a little. An adult was treating her nicely.

“Then, I’ve also been wondering what Shadows actually are. I’ve been researching on the internet about all this and I couldn’t find a whole lot aside from stuff about the Lost, but there are rumors that this sort of thing has been happening specifically in Iwatodai for a while now.” Then she began mumbling, “Of course, I couldn’t find out too much since it seems all the recent articles seem to be concentrating on some doomsday cult going around here instead, and...”

“Calm down now.” Ikutsuki pushed another plate of tart in her direction, which Sumireko felt very little hesitation about accepting. “Too many questions spoil the broth.”

Sumireko paused herself. “I’m sorry, I got ahead of myself.”

“It is perfectly fine. Well, let’s see.” Ikutsuki went silent for a moment, his tone more inquisitive than confused. “I suppose we can start with the Shadows. Although, both of those topics are ultimately linked to each other.”

“The Shadows and the Lost?”

Ikutsuki nodded. “Shadows are entities born out of humans. Specifically, suppressed human thoughts given physical form. There are a lot of things that we don’t know yet about them, but it seems that the form they take is shaped by the strength of their source’s will. The blobs, or the Maya, as we officially classified them, are the most common type due to this.”

Which meant those Mayas were born from people without a strong will. Half-assed people. Indecisive people. People without any passion. All those. They were the majority of what and whom Sumireko encountered by far.

“If that is the case,” Sumireko asked, “then larger Shadows, such as the one with the umbrella we faced the other day, are formed from someone with a stronger will?”

“We are not certain, but that is likely the case. However, the one you faced on the rooftop…” Ikutsuki seemed to want to continue, before shaking his head. “That was the first time such a powerful Shadow was seen outside of the Abyss. There are insufficient data to reach a conclusion. But we’re getting off-track.”

Ikutsuki himself looked pleased with Sumireko’s growing interest in the topic. “Shadows create more Shadows by attacking people. They rip out someone’s psyche, and from it, a new Shadow is born in the Abyss.”

Sumireko felt an epiphany. “Then, the Lost are…”

“Yes, this is why the Lost end up in such a vegetative state, because a part of their very being has been ripped out of them. They become almost comatose, vegetative. You could even say it’s like they’re sleeping. Their brainwaves are almost identical to someone experiencing a dream. However, they are unable to wake up, sometimes for months. It must be an amazing dream for them to not wake up so long, heh.”

As a joke, that wasn’t very funny or appropriate, Sumireko thought.

“That is why we’ve decided,” Ikutsuki drank, the brief pause let both himself and Sumireko relax, “to call it the Lotus Syndrome.”

“So it was SEES who spread that name,” Sumireko remarked. She had been wondering why the Internet had been calling the phenomenon _the Lotus Syndrome._ It was a relief to discover something for once. “Can we do anything for them?”

“Fortunately, it seems that defeating the Shadows has been proven to help the Lost to recover.”

“Is it because the Shadows defeated will be returned to the people that lost them?”

“It seems to be the case, but again, we cannot be sure yet. Whatever the case may be, this is one of the primary tasks of SEES.” Ikutsuki refilled his own tea. Sumireko lost track of just how many times he had done that during this talk. “Even with the recent increase in Shadow activity, I trust the four of you to be able to handle it, for the sake of this city.”

Saying that her earlier uneasiness had been calmed would be inaccurate, but Ikutsuki’s answers had helped her anchor herself. And the idea that she was making a difference by defeating any shadow gave her a better sense of purpose too.

Sumireko bowed at him. “Thank you for answering my questions.”

“It’s my pleasure. Should you have other questions in the future, I will be willing to listen. Mitsuru is sometimes a little bit too tight-lipped for her own good.” Ikutsuki chuckled for a moment as Sumireko left the living room. The voice of the newscaster remained as the only thing that could be heard before Sumireko closed the doors to her room.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We decided to put dates at the beginning of each day's transition now to make things clearer.
> 
> Also, next chapter will be somewhat late due to real-life issue.


	15. Insert Coin(s)

X-X-X

### Chapter 12: Insert Coin(s)

Sumireko opened her eyes and saw her room was filled with a green hue. It was the middle of the Dark Hour and she was half-covered in her blanket. She blinked.

“I can finally get some sleep for once and I wake up randomly at night…”, Sumireko groaned. “Wait, didn’t this happen once before...”

Still half-asleep and her hair still messy, Sumireko was about to turn around and close her eyes again when she saw a person’s face very close to hers, their lips almost touching.

A young girl’s face, sculpted to perfection.

“Boo.”

Sumireko screamed and pushed her back up against the wall, the sudden shuffling of weight on her bed emitting a creaking noise. Now wide awake, her breathing turned uneven and her eyes panicked, “You’re… Yukari Yakumo!”

The blonde little girl in a vintage purple dress standing gracefully in front of her bed giggled, “I don’t need you to tell me that, Usami Sumireko. And look at you. You truly are unsightly.”

Seeing that the little girl wasn’t moving from where she stood, Sumireko calmed down a little. Certainly, the last time Yukari Yakumo appeared was also while she was asleep, and last time nothing weird happened.

Actually, something did.

“Worry not.” Yukari interrupted that thought before she could complete it. “You won’t have to fight anything tonight.”

Again the other side replies to Sumireko’s thoughts before she could voice them. It was just like she was talking to...

“Are you here about that contract again?” Sumireko was almost certain the contract Yukari Yakumo and Doremy Sweet referred to were the same, but she had no idea how they were related. “You’re from the Velvet Room too, aren’t you? A friend of Doremy Sweet?”

Yukari shrugged. “I haven’t a clue who Doremy Sweet is myself. I’d rather you not associate me with more of your stupid delusions.”

“I don’t believe you.” Sumireko immediately replied back. Perhaps dealing with Doremy earlier had given her an edge against strange, inexplicable phenomena appearing abruptly in front of her. Sumireko was now an expert in dealing with people no one else could see, or so she’d like to say.

Yukari Yakumo’s faint little smile flattened, and her eyes stopped dancing around joyfully.

“That aside, about the matter of the contract, that is why I am here but...” Yukari hummed to herself, her hair glistened from the faint green glow of the moonlight from the window. “I’m not in the mood for it anymore.”

The audacity of her smug, overconfident smile as she declared so, Sumireko found it familiar. _As if she had seen it before._ It infuriated her beyond belief.

“I don’t care about your mood! What do you want with me?! Speak! You’re even harder to deal with than Doremy Sweet!”

Yukari frowned upon hearing that name. “Unlike everyone else, I don’t intend to cater to you. I’m not here to become your friend like Sanae Kochiya or Reimu Hakurei or whoever this Doremy Sweet is. Please, grow up a little. I don’t have time to deal with every little thing on your mind.”

Had it been anyone else, such a scathing criticism would’ve made Sumireko clam up instantly. When it was this little girl, Yukari Yakumo, who spoke so however, Sumireko couldn’t erase the feeling of frustration out of her heart. Who was she to talk to her so familiarly?

The girl in front of her sighed. “Well, there’s little point continuing this charade. I shall get to the point. Tomorrow is the full moon. There. That’s all I came to tell you. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” Sumireko shouted.

Unexpectedly, Yukari Yakumo halted. Then Sumireko’s mind pulled a blank. What did she want to say next? She didn’t care about whatever it was this girl came to tell her. It didn’t even make any sense, but Sumireko didn’t want Yukari Yakumo to just leave unhindered. No, she wouldn’t let the little girl leave, not before she could annoy her back in some way.

When Yukari grinned that very moment however, it conveyed to Sumireko that her intentions had already been understood.

“My, my.” Yukari began to circle the room. Her gaze traveled from Sumireko’s confused look to the surroundings and then back. They made eye contact for a moment, locking their gazes to each other.

Sumireko could see the glint in the other girl’s eyes. She was being judged.

“You know, I was expecting to see you awake when I came here today.” Yukari sat on top of her desk like back then, her fingers caressing Sumireko’s switched-off laptop. “Just like you usually do, I mean. Moaning “Merry, Merry, ah!” all the time like some kind of insane chant. That was maddening.”

Sumireko frowned. She wanted to get up and drag Yukari outside, but she was too tired. Thoughts filled her mind, about things she might say to annoy the girl, but Sumireko knew very little about her.

“But whoever this Merry is, I’d believe that she would be quite disgusted if she knows about you.” Yukari pressed on her laptop harder. Sumireko wanted to scream, it looked as if Yukari was going to break it. But ultimately, Yukari relented, and instead held up one of the books on her desk, pretending to read it. “Oh joy, I’m a villain in your story. But of course even then you still distort my image to fit with your tastes.”

“Drop that book and get out. Or else, I’ll…” Sumireko glanced at the Evoker lying on the desk next to her bed. She hesitated, she didn’t want to use it. But this Yukari Yakumo wasn’thuman, she couldn’t be, so it was fine. Her hand held up the gun-like object.

“I’d leave if I can, but it seems like I’m stuck with you, so…” Her mouth elongated the last syllable to an annoying extent. Despite saying so, Yukari put down the notebook after Sumireko threatened her. Her expression remained calm and composed, with a smile as condescending as always. “Moreover, how’s your imaginary friend doing? Renko, was it?”

“That’s none of your business.” Sumireko still held her Evoker tight.

“Hmph, alright.” Yukari said with a mocking tone. “Having an imaginary friend sure is wonderful, is it not? She can tell you that someone cares about you when nobody really does, encourage you to do something when you can’t, validate your opinion when it’s plain out stupid, and you can even discard her when you no longer need her!”

Yukari’s words filled her with anger. She knew nothing. She had no idea just how important Renko was. Even if they were in a rut lately, Renko always meant the best for her. She was perfect, she was Sumireko’s idol. There was no way that Sumireko would ever discard her. There was no way this stranger would ever understand that. “Stop talking about things you don’t know.”

“What else there is to her? She’s just your own invention to make yourself feel better, but even after that you’re so insecure about yourself that you have to insert yourself as her to be all lovey-dovey with your own imaginary lover.” Yukari got off from the table and walked towards Sumireko’s bed. In the midst of the green hue painting the Dark Hour, Yukari looked less like a little girl, and more like a demon out of hell itself. An as befitting of her nature, she made a condescending smile.

“You really should’ve died in that accident.”

“Persona!”

Sumireko pulled the trigger. Without anything holding her back, Renko manifested and swung her harp onto the floor. Sumireko lost control out of anger. Yet, there was nothing there, and the swing shattered the windows instead. It was as if Yukari Yakumo disappeared into the depths of the night.

Still shaking and disoriented from her anger, Sumireko collapsed to her bed as she heard faint sounds of hastened footsteps outside. Surely she was going to get into trouble for this.

X-X-X

May 9th, 2009  
Saturday

“For the time being, your Evoker will be confiscated.” Mitsuru clearly laid out her punishment.

Sumireko squirmed in her seat, unable to offer a rebuttal. Somehow the girls arranged themselves such that the living room table resembled a court. On one end of the table was Sumireko, and the opposite side stood the judge, MItsuru. To the sides were Sanae, Reimu and Marisa, the trial audience. The judge proclaimed her final decision, a sound and morally correct course of action to take.

Sumireko couldn’t just tell them she was being bullied by a little girl only she could see. She told them she had a nightmare, and that wasn’t too far off from the truth really. When she looked at Mitsuru’s expression, Sumireko could tell that her excuse wasn’t very convincing. Mitsuru spoke decisively, but her look of confusion conveyed that she wasn’t quite sure how angry she should be herself. Sumireko then turned to Sanae, who instead locked her gaze to the floor, as if she wanted to help but didn’t know what to say. It was such a tense situation to deal with first thing in the morning.

“...you are an important part of SEES.” Mitsuru continued, “but we cannot afford a risk like this happening again. For the time being, you will only be given your Evoker when we dive into the Abyss. Once we’re sure your nightmares won’t be a regular occurence-”

“Wait.” Someone spoke to defend her. It was Reimu, who also stood up. “We can’t have that.”

The judge turned her gaze from the defendant to the defense. “What is it, Hakurei? Do you find my judgment unsound?”

“It’s dangerous now more than ever before. Shadows are on the rise, and so are the Lost. Let Usami keep hers.”

MItsuru exhaled. “Did you not hear me earlier? We can’t risk someone accidentally summoning their Personas and causing collateral damage. It’d be neglectful. Usami won’t be going outside during the Dark Hour, she will not be in danger.”

“That’s not good enough.”

“I insist that it is.”

Their gazes locked onto each other. Neither Mitsuru or Reimu were willing to back down. Sitting in between them was Sanae, who was herself very uncomfortable with the development.

“It seems to me you’re only arguing for the sake of arguing, rather than saying anything worthwhile.” Mitsuru accused. It was no longer the words of an impartial judge. It was very evident to even Sumireko that Mitsuru was attacking the other side.

Reimu glared back unfazed. For a moment, the silence between them made Sumireko’s nerves contract. It made her wonder how Reimu would react.

Then Reimu’s gaze lowered and her shoulders relaxed. She let out an exhale.

She chose not to reply.

There wasn’t anything else worth saying to Mitsuru. That was what she communicated. It was like she was looking down at her, as someone not worth trying to convince.

Mitsuru let out a small involuntary whimper, that broke her image of dignity for just a single moment. When Mitsuru spoke again, her voice was hoarse. “Why…?”

“If something unexpected happens, we’ll be too late and Usami might be lost.”

Sumireko shuddered at the mention of the Lost. No, she then realized Reimu just meant she’d be lost in the more literal sense.

“Calm down a little, both of ya.” It was Marisa who pitched in. She was the only one in the room who was still relaxed. That was perhaps the only reason why the trial didn’t boil down into a heated argument. “Sorry, Sumi, but I agree with Mitsuru here. Can’t help you this time.”

Reimu glared at Marisa, who didn’t cower. From where she sat, Sumireko couldn’t tell what the two of them communicated through eye-contact but it made Reimu turn to Sumireko instead. She addressed her very straightforwardly. “Do you still believe you can be entrusted with an Evoker?”

Sumireko was about to thoughtlessly answer with a negative, but she found herself unable to read Reimu. Mitsuru was objectively in the right, so why was Reimu standing up for her? Sumireko didn’t understand.

“I… don’t think so.” She managed to utter out weakly.

Reimu closed her eyes, providing some sense of finality to the debate. “Understood.”

“If that is all then…” Mitsuru’s voice was more strained than before, just a step away from losing her composure, “Everyone is dismissed. Get ready to go to class.”

“...” “Y-yes!” “Roger.” “Hm.” The four of them responded differently, but the one to leave first was Sanae, who excused herself and hurriedly exited. Not being able to stand the mood in the dining room any longer, Sumireko followed suit. She felt like she could still hear voices from the room when she went upstairs.

X-X-X

Sumireko stepped onto the train platform alone. It was the first time in a while. Usually, Sanae would be with her, and on occasions Marisa would join the two. But instead Sanae had left the dorm before Sumireko, and Marisa had to go to the hospital for a morning check-up.

It was stupid of her, Sumireko thought. It really was. Even if what Yukari Yakumo said got to her nerves, she shouldn’t have pulled the trigger. She didn’t like the decision one bit, but she found Mitsuru to be very reasonable. Sumireko wondered if that was enough grounds to get her kicked out of the dorm had someone else was their leader, if not worse. But even so, she couldn’t tell anyone her true reason for doing so.

“Why did I do that…?” In the midst of her self-loathing, Sumireko noticed that on the other end of the platform stood a girl she was very familiar with... No, far from it, Sumireko didn’t know a thing about her. It was Reimu with headphones on, staring emptily ahead. It looked almost as if she was one of the Lost herself. Sumireko wondered, should she get closer to her? It wasn’t like Reimu was a hard person to talk to. No, she was very hard to talk to, but it wasn’t stressful to talk to her. If anything, Sumireko found her quite relaxing and reliable to be around.

Sumireko must’ve stood by herself for minutes pondering over this until the train arrived. She saw Reimu hop in, and after a moment of hesitation Sumireko rushed over to the same train carriage.

“Um… Senpai.” Sumireko called the older girl and grabbed her attention. Reimu noticed her and took off her headphones. Although Reimu didn’t say anything in response, the momentary flash of recognition in her eyes told Sumireko it was fine to speak.

“Earlier, why did you take my side? Kirijo-senpai was not being unreasonable.”

“Hm.” Reimu paused for a moment, thinking. “It’s because what you experienced is not a nightmare. Whatever it is, it’s something related to the Velvet Room.”

Her senior’s insight into the matter impressed her greatly. “Sort of… yeah. Even so...” Sumireko recalled that moment again. The way Reimu stared at Mitsuru, making her react in a way that was so unlike her. “You were scary back there.”

“I got carried away. Mitsuru has been more unreasonable than usual lately, but this wasn’t one of those moments.”

Sumireko went silent. Mitsuru was usually unreasonable, true, but that seemed to be the case for Reimu here. The past few days, everyone was on edge. Increased Shadow activity lead to a dramatic increase of the Lost which meant SEES had to be more frequent in their patrols around the city. It seemed that even Reimu was not exempt to the fatigue and lack of sleep that came with it. As she was thinking, Sumireko noticed Reimu’s gaze fixed on her.

“I wonder. What actually happened?” Reimu asked.

“Ah. Well, it’s just…”

Sumireko hesitated, but with Reimu perhaps being the only person she was able to talk with about this, she told her what happened. About the mysterious girl calling herself Yukari Yakumo, about her abrasive attitude, and about how she seemed to know too much about Sumireko’s life. Sumireko left out the contents of what Yukari Yakumo told her, though Reimu seemed to understand well enough. Just thinking about Yukari’s last words made Sumireko’s fists clench.

“I can’t stop thinking about her insults even now. It’s annoying.” It’s not the first time Sumireko was insulted or anything, nor the first time someone told her to die either. Words could never hurt her, or so she believed, yet when it was said by someone who seemed to know her so personally, it was different. Yukari’s words kept replaying in her head, down to the mocking intonation in every single syllable.

“Will you go ask Doremy Sweet about this?”

“I… don’t think I will. I feel like she might not be involved.”

“Hm. I’ll ask her when I visit next time.” Reimu thought about her next words for a while. The voice from the train saying that the train would soon arrive in Tatsumi Port didn’t seem to bother her. “Other than that, maybe you should talk to Marisa or Sanae. I don’t think I am able to help you.”

The train came to a stop and with it, the conversation. Before Sumireko could voice her doubts about telling others regarding this matter, Reimu stood up and disappeared into the sea of commuters, leaving her to make the decision for herself.

X-X-X

It was then after school when Sumireko asked Sanae if she was free.

Sanae had just finished packing her bag when Sumireko approached her. Once Sumireko finished her question, Sanae made a hesitant expression and looked away.

“Ah, pardon me. Yukari insists that I should practice a lot today. Maybe another day?”

Sanae bowed to apologize before leaving Sumireko alone, her steps hurried. Sumireko shrugged before heading outside. Perhaps Sanae was practicing for an archery competition or something. She couldn’t do much about it, although it put her at ease, just a little. It’s not like Sanae was ignoring her, was she?

This left only Marisa that she could talk about her issue with. As she made way to the school gate, Sumireko shook her head. She was a lot more hesitant to talk to Marisa. Sumireko felt that she and Sanae was decently close enough for something personal like her worries, but Marisa… as lighthearted as she was, Sumireko realized that she had never talked to her personally. In a way, she felt that even Mitsuru was more familiar to her than Marisa. It was unfair to her, but Sumireko couldn’t help but imagine Marisa making a rude joke about her situation. She seemed to be the type to do that.

Sumireko arrived at the front gate and began to wait. Well, it wasn’t like Marisa would appear here if she waited for her anyway. Sumireko decided to just wait for the next fifteen minutes and if Marisa didn’t come, she’d return alone to the dorm and-

“Oi, Sumi! You’re looking worse than this morning.” The figure of her senior became apparent in the distance, waving at her with a playful smile. As if right on cue. “Not with Sanae?”

“Uh, she’s busy with archery.”

As if Marisa could understand why Sumireko was there, Marisa beckoned Sumireko to follow her home. Sumireko did so.

Looking at her senior, Sumireko noticed that Marisa didn’t wear an arm cast anymore. Still unsure whether to confide to Marisa, Sumireko thought that talking a little wouldn’t hurt. “...Has your arm recovered now? How was the check-up this morning?”

Marisa looked at her for a moment. “Hm… The doctor said it’s fine, but warned me against heavy physical activity until next week. It’s a shame really, now I’m out of excuses to get Reimu to feed me.”

“I...see…” Sumireko wondered what to make out of that, but perhaps that was just one of her jokes. Her lighthearted smile stood contrast to the rest of SEES. Being the only one who didn’t have to sacrifice their rest time for patrols was likely why Marisa could stay so chipper. But… such contrast to Sumireko felt creepy rather than comforting.

“May I ask?” Sumireko decided to address it. “Are you really feeling fine? Everything is so gloomy lately and you’re still jovial like this. And after what happened this morning too…”

“Of course not.” Marisa’s answer was short and flat, and her expression became more serious. “Even if I can’t join you all in your patrols, the tension gets to me. But if I’m gloomy too, you guys will end up feeling even worse, I bet.”

Sumireko wasn’t sure how to respond, so she didn’t.

“Reimu and Mitsuru together are quite a headache, you know? What happened this morning isn’t even the first time this week. Yesterday I stumbled on them yelling at each other. Apparently Mitsuru found out that Reimu’s been exploring the Abyss on her own without permission. Mitsuru eventually gave in before I managed to interfere.” Marisa shook her head jokingly. “I’ve known both of them for years, but it’s very rare that Reimu’s like this.”

Did the change in Reimu involve Doremy somehow? Sumireko shuddered at the thought.

“You don’t happen to know anything about this, don’t you?” Marisa’s gaze became inquisitive as she shifted to stare at Sumireko for a moment, causing the younger girl to let out an uncharacteristic yelp. The tension in Marisa’s expression loosened and she laughed. “Well, even if you do, you have to deal with your own issues first. Say, if you’re having nightmares, maybe you can sleep in my room? I’ll make sure nothing happens.”

“Sur...no! Definitely not!” Realizing that she raised her voice all of the sudden, Sumireko shifted her gaze away, avoiding Marisa’s. That was still a joke too, wasn’t it? “I mean… I think I can handle this on my own. Thanks for the offer, though.”

“There’s enough space in my room, don’t worry about it.” Marisa continued to laugh. Sumireko was unsure how serious she was with the offer. Or how serious she was in general. Maybe she really should just ask Marisa and get this done with quickly.

“Actually, about that… There is something I want to ask though.” Sumireko took a deep breath. “What if, well, someone told you a lot of mean things and then told you to die? How would you deal with that?”

Sumireko left the last bit hanging, as if she wasn’t quite sure how confidently should she ask. Unexpectedly, her senior replied very seriously.

“Who is it?” Marisa’s laughter subsided. Taking a 180 degrees turn, Sumireko felt a chill she never felt before from her. She wondered if framing it this way was a good idea. “Tell me, Sumireko. You shouldn’t be afraid of them. I’ll get them done with in a day.”

“No… no, senpai! It was just… well, there’s this girl, but I don’t quite recall how she looked like. She cornered me one day a long time ago and said all that. Her words were really mean.” Sumireko tried her best to stop the situation from escalating. “It was a long time ago. But well, more than that, I couldn’t stop thinking about the words she said to me.”

 _Grow up._ The words still rang clear in Sumireko’s mind. _Merry would be disgusted at you._ Words spoken as if _that thing_ knew about her at all. Merry loved her so much, and Sumireko loved her in return. _Discard her when you no longer need her._ As if either Merry or Renko were just dolls she played with and eventually would get bored of.

“Er… look at me, Sumi. You’re losing yourself.” Marisa’s words brought Sumireko back to reality. She felt her palm hurting, her nails had dug into her skin as she clenched her fist. Marisa had one of her hands on Sumireko’s shoulder. “I’ll go find this person and deal with them later, but more importantly for now, it’s about you.”

Sumireko felt the hold on her shoulder tighten.

“Don’t accept anything this girl told you. It’s fine for you to be angry, and it’s fine for you to tell me or the others about this. No matter who you are, you don’t deserve being told that.” Marisa’s dazzling smile and golden eyes glowed with absolute confidence. Sumireko listened to the words flowing from her mouth that resonated with her like a song. “I’m here for you, okay? If this sort of thing happens again, you can tell me everything. You’re not pathetic, no matter what anyone tells you. What do they know about you, anyway?”

Marisa’s words did help reassure her just a bit, but her last sentence was the main issue here. Yukari knew a lot more about her than anyone should. That was why she was this stressed over it in the first place.

_But, perhaps Marisa was right? Maybe it’s all just conjecture on Yukari’s part. She doesn’t even know my feelings, in the first place. Right, yes. This would definitely be the case here._

Sumireko smiled. She made up her mind and Marisa responded with a congratulatory tap on her back. It took a bit of effort, but once Sumireko decided that Yukari ultimately knew nothing about her life, she felt like she was able to ignore her scathing criticism a little better.

The station was closed by. As the two continued on their way, now talking to each other with a lightened mood, the two noticed a group of students near the ticket booth. Sumireko recognized one of them as being Yukari Takeba, the more pleasant Yukari by far, and she was deeply entrenched in her conversation with a boy wearing a baseball cap, and another gloomy-looking blue-haired boy.

“Oh huh, isn’t that Takeba? I don’t see her outside the archery lately…” Marisa chimed in as she and Sumireko passed them. “Oh, right. Today the archery club doesn’t have practice, silly me.”

X-X-X

Before long it was quite late in the day. Mitsuru, Marisa, Reimu and Sumireko had all gathered in the living room, each seated uncomfortably on the couch. The silence between Mitsuru and Reimu was palpable. Sumireko had to distract herself with a book, Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie, the original English edition instead of Japanese. It was the book she was recommended by that lady she met at the cafe. Tuppence was quite a charming heroine, she thought.

She was just getting to the good part when Mitsuru cleared her throat. “Has no one heard from Kochiya yet? It’s already nine, it’s quite late.”

When none of them answered, Mitsuru stood up. “It’s yet to happen before, Kochiya not coming back at a reasonable time. She isn’t picking up her phone either...”

In Mitsuru’s hand was a mobile phone. It was natural that a SEES member would have everyone else’s phone number.

For whatever reason, Sanae had lied to her. Sumireko was positive now. She didn’t have practice today, then what was she doing? And this late too.

“We should go search for her.” Reimu and Mitsuru spoke at the same time. Their eyes met each other for a second, then parted.

“You’re right. It’s still only nine, so if we quickly find her it won’t be a problem.” Marisa walked to the door and reached for her shoes. “Come on, Mitsuru. We need all the people we can get to go search. It’s not like it’s the Dark Hour yet. Let me and Sumi help out.”

Mitsuru turned to Sumireko who was still sitting comfortably, her book now tucked away. “As reluctant as I am, alright. Can I ask you to go look for Kochiya?”

“O-of course!” Sumireko stood up hurriedly. Somewhere inside, she felt a need to try to make it up to Mitsuru for causing so much trouble in the first place.

And so the three of them left the building. Just in case, Mitsuru had written her number down and given it to Sumireko, so she could call in when she found Sanae.

“I’ll go check at school. Reimu, go to the strip mall and search the other stations. Sumi, you can handle Paulownia.” Marisa established the agenda for them all quickly enough. For Sumireko, it was most convenient that she was given Paulownia to search in. Chances were Sanae was there after all.

Again that day Sumireko boarded the train, this time along with Marisa. Their earlier conversation still remained on her mind, but if Marisa could tell, she was being very considerate by not bringing it up.

Soon the train arrived at the station nearest to the mall.

“Hope you find her there, Sumi.” That was the only thing the older girl said the entire trip.

Sumireko nodded in polite response and got off.

First she went to the cafe. At this rate, she really had visited just about everyday lately. Hoping the regular waitress didn’t spot her, Sumireko stayed near the windows peeking in but didn’t see any greenheads around.

She still had one more place to check. Sumireko walked across the mall complex to the other end towards the game arcade. Once she got inside, the loudness of the whole place shook her. There was no way someone like Sanae would stay here this late, Sumireko thought.

But there she was.

Sumireko spotted her sitting at a fighting game machine, one she wasn’t very familiar with. Sanae was in her uniform but wore a cap on. If that was supposed to be a disguise, Sumireko thought it wasn’t a very good one. She didn’t know why Sanae was there so late, but at least she wasn’t in danger.

“Sanae.”

“Gah!” Sanae leapt up and looked around in a panic. When she saw it was Sumireko, she relaxed. “Oh, it’s you, Usami-san. That scared me...”

That was not an unexpected response, but Sumireko couldn’t help but feel something was off. Her eyes were a little bloodshot, her smile a little strained. “What are you doing here? Besides the obvious.”

“Oh, I just lost track of time.” The accompanying laughter had a certain forcedness to it that Sumireko couldn’t help but notice. The way she stumbled on her words wasn’t like usual.

“Really?”

“I uh, my friends brought me here and introduced me to this game, and I forgot about the time! It was just so fun.”

Sumireko didn’t know what that was so she didn’t comment on it. “Fun enough to not notice your phone?”

“Did Kirijo-senpai call? My phone ran out of battery, so I didn’t notice. If she did, that is.” She added in a hurry.

Sumireko almost mouthed ‘suspicious’ out loud.

“In any case, you lied about having practice, didn’t you?” Sumireko felt like she was accusing Sanae of something. It was certainly true that Sanae had lied, but to accuse someone of doing so was a new experience. “Was that really just to well, enjoy your day-off at an arcade?”

Sanae’s smile didn’t falter but she fell silent. Her fingers, tightly intertwined with each other, stopped fidgeting. An exhale. Sumireko looked at her again and Sanae stared back with tired eyes.

“Usami-san, I don’t think you know but Kirijo-senpai and Hakurei-senpai argue often. You’d think they would get along really well, right? But they butt heads often.”

Sumireko had a flash of inspiration. “Was it… because the argument this morning stressed you out? That’s why you holed up here since after class, playing uh… whatever that is.”

“No, not really. It’s not those two, and also it’s not like I like flashy, cute anime things like this game or anything either.” Sanae’s hand caressed the joystick behind her as she added that last bit. On the screen there was a roughly feminine feline-like character, and another huge red man. “But it does make me want to avoid the dorm sometimes. It’s very loud here, but it’s quite comforting. I can drown in the noise.”

Sumireko stood still, staring at the girl in front of her. Sanae Kochiya, the girl who saved her time and again. The girl who was supposedly always bright and cheerful and sociable. A tiny bit of doubt grew inside of Sumireko. It must’ve shown on her face, because Sanae in front of her grimaced.

“I really am sorry I lied to you. It just came naturally without thinking today. I actually am quite good at it, did you know that, Usami-san?”

“I’m...not sure what I should say here.” Even as Sumireko said that, she actually wanted to say that Sanae was bad at lying. She wondered how much of what had been said was just Sanae making things up, but she decided not to pursue the thought. It was discomforting.

“I don’t want to go home yet. I want to at least spend all the coins I exchanged from my thousand yen bill. Would that be fine with you, Usami-san?” There was indeed a pile of fifty-yen coins piled on the arcade machine. She made an attempt at a pleading voice. “I’ll leave right after I’m done.”

“Is that also a lie?”

“Ahaha, I’m not sure anymore.”

“Then… I’m uh, going to call Kirijo-senpai first, if you don’t mind.”

When Sanae didn’t refuse, Sumireko pulled out her phone and dialed. Once Mitsuru picked up, Sumireko reported her current location. She left out describing Sanae’s somewhat deranged state.

_“...Return before midnight. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why.”_

“U-understood.” Sumireko almost dropped her phone there and then, and hung up. When she turned back around, she saw Sanae was eyeing her pocket, rather longingly she must add.

“No, it’s nothing.” Sanae shook her head before Sumireko could ask her. “Anyway, won’t you sit down and play, Usami-san? Help me use up my coins.”

Sumireko had to admit she wasn’t very interested in the machine cabinet Sanae was occupying. A two-dimensional fighting game. It seemed very… light novel-like, and not very atmospheric.

“Just one game, Usami-san.” Sanae’s look of exhaustion reached its peak. Sumireko could almost see her collapsing right this very moment. To be fair, Sumireko herself felt sleep deprived as well.

“Hm, alright.” Sumireko sighed and relented. She took a seat next to Sanae and put her fingers on the controls. “I don’t know how to play this at all though.”

“It’s not that difficult. I’ll walk you through. Just pick a character you like.”

With great reluctance and a frown to match it, Sumireko followed Sanae’s instructions. Was this really going to be fun, she wondered?

When they finally began, Sumireko felt lost by all the color and pixels on the screen. Even beyond her imagination, the game was extremely lively and explosive. Who was she even controlling? Sumireko mashed the buttons randomly, not sure about what would work in the chaos.

She looked to the side and saw Sanae’s eyes sparkle. It was unlike anything else she had seen from Sanae before. It was as if her earlier tiredness melted away once she put in the fifty yen coin.

“Look, Usami-san! If I spin my joystick, my character can grab you!”

Sumireko mentally readjusted herself. This was something Sanae enjoyed from the bottom of her heart. She should at least try to understand the appeal, shouldn’t she?

Once she thought that way, suddenly the game took on a life of its own. The messy pixels became sparks and flashes of projectiles and punches and kicks. The blobs of color on the screen became her character, a gothic lolita in twintails. Sanae was a bulky, muscular man with huge metallic gauntlets. The one Sanae used earlier.

Sumireko felt as light and floaty and arrogant as the girl on the screen flying around with the wind. Sanae on the other hand was a slowly moving iron tank, large and lethal. Sumireko summoned storm and thunder to cover the screen, Sanae brushed through with her impenetrable guard. But Sumireko wasn’t going to lose, not this time.

Sumireko thought to herself, it was getting kind of fun.

Perhaps because of that, they both lost track of time.

“Kirijo-senpai is going to be mad!” Sanae was shouting loudly while glancing at the clock on the wall. It was already eleven at night. They had less than an hour to get home.

“Ah, Kirijo-senpai left a lot of missed calls…”

“Let’s get to the station first and then call her!”

Sumireko nodded. They ran out of the mall in a hurry. The train station wasn’t too far away, but because of all the patrols lately Sumireko ran out of breath quickly. By the time they arrived, Sumireko was positively gasping for air. Sanae checked the time on her wristwatch. “11:20, we’re still fine. Let’s contact Kirijo-senpai.”

“Ah… alright.” Sumireko pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

_“Do you have any idea how late it is?! Return immediately!”_

After being told that, Sumireko could only comply. “We’re at the station now. It shouldn’t take us more than 20 minutes to arrive there.”

_“...Alright. Contact me again if something happens.”_

“Um, understood.” Sumireko said and pocketed her phone.

The wait for the train to come was filled with silence. Now that they were outside of that arcade, Sanae was acting as demure as she normally did. Sumireko made eye contact with her and averted her eyes immediately. Had she been better at handling this kind of situation, she might know what to say. The train arrived not long after, and again they got on. It was so late the carriages were barely filled with people. They had an entire aisle to themselves to sit.

“It feels like I’ve gotten on trains pretty often today.” Sumireko commented drily.

“Again, I’m very sorry to make you all go look for me.”

“It’s well, fine, really.” They just didn’t connect. Sumireko had a hard time seeing the Sanae she knew lying at the drop of the hat. But that in itself was interesting. It was like discovering a side you didn’t know to a character you thought was boring. Despite her worries on what it might lead to in the future, Sumireko felt like she became just a little closer to Sanae today.

It was then that the train stopped. The announcer’s voice rang through the train, announcing an emergency stop due to technical difficulties. It reminded Sumireko of the time she came to Iwatodai, when her train was also delayed for quite a while. She heard that back then it was because of a suicide on the railway, and she couldn't help but wonder what was the cause of this one. 

“Wait, isn’t this kind of bad?” Sumireko's voice interjected her thought.

“...We should contact Kirijo-senpai again.”

“I’ll do that.” Again Sumireko pulled out her phone. “Kirijo-senpai. It um, turns out the train we’re on is currently stuck. I’m not sure if we’ll get back in time.”

There was a very loud sigh on the other end. _“Understood. Stay safe, we’ll send Hakurei out as quickly as we can.”_

“Uh… thank you?” Sumireko replied. She was scared that Mitsuru would chastise her much more strongly but that didn’t seem to be the case.

_“Kochiya doesn’t have her Evoker either, does she?”_

Then Sumireko realized. The Dark Hour was going to hit. She felt a chill down her spine.

_“Stay calm, do not try to leave the train. There may be more Shadows outside once the Dark Hour hits. Tell me what train you’re on and how many stations away are you.”_

“A-alright.” Sumireko took a while longer to answer Mitsuru’s inquiry as best as she could, and then hung up and turned to Sanae, who had started to whimper.

“It’s my fault. I don’t have an Evoker with me either, and it’s because of me that we’re both stuck here now.” Her tone was so down and apologetic, it hurted. It wasn’t a lie.

“Wait, it’s going to be fine, right? It’s not like we’re in any danger.” Sumireko found it hard to grasp her current situation.

Then the lights went out. It was midnight. The insides of the train turned a sick shade of green. The darkness covered the car wholly, with only the green illumination from outside lighting their faces up. For good or for worse, there was only a handful of coffins on the far end of the car.

“It’s fine, Usami-san. Please trust me, I’ll keep you safe. It’s my fault after all.” Sanae reassured her with a hand on her shoulder. She couldn’t quite hide the frown on her face though, or the subtle shaking from her hand on her shoulder.

“It’s...not your fault, Sanae.” Sumireko spoke the first thing that came to mind. She wasn’t sure if that was effective at all though.

“But if I hadn’t holed myself up in an arcade today...” No matter how Sumireko might try to persuade her, she was certain that Sanae will continue to blame herself. Ultimately, it was both of their faults, Sumireko should’ve not lost track of time, or noticed Mitsuru’s calls.

That’s why she couldn’t say anything substantial. In the end, she settled on just one sentence. “...I had fun too.”

Sumireko’s voice was drowned by the loud screeching of a Shadow in the distance.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are sorry for getting this chapter out so late, we hope that this is not an indicator of future update speed.
> 
> On another note, we decided to update the fic's title in accordance to the proper, non-engrish version of the song in reference, as well as updating the fic's summary. Do tell if there are issues with either.


	16. Howling

X-X-X

### Chapter 13: Howling

May 10th, 2009  
Sunday  
00:00

Both Sanae and Sumireko ducked to the floor the moment they heard the roar. They remained silent. Sumireko could feel Sanae’s hand, limp and shaking, grasping her wrist. There was no strange movement in the area, but they couldn’t be sure. From where they were, they could barely see anything.

“We’ll have to stand up.” Surprising even herself, it was Sumireko who moved first.

Sanae shook her head in disapproval, but did not attempt to hold Sumireko down as the latter pushed herself off the floor.

Now that she was able to see the car properly, Sumireko examined their surroundings. The green-hued darkness made what used to be a mundane location look sickening. Coffins littered the half-lit car. Perhaps Sumireko only imagined it but she smelled blood. Had Sumireko not been used to this, she would’ve thrown up.

More importantly, there was nothing else in the car.

“It’s fine, we’re safe for now.” It was Sumireko’s best attempt to sound reassuring. She was scared as well, so she instinctively held Sanae’s wrist firmly with her free hand. She couldn’t stop breathing heavily, but her heart remained surprisingly calm. While Sanae’s alarmed expression did not go away, she stood up as well.

Next was arming themselves.

Sumireko’s gaze went to a certain point in the distance. Next to the doors leading to the car ahead were two small glass panes holding fire extinguishers. Sumireko nodded when she got closer. She knocked at the glass a few times and then hit it with a mallet placed next to it. It didn’t dent.

Sanae saw what she was doing, grabbed the mallet from Sumireko and smashed the glass in one hit.

Sumireko frowned, not pleased with the sheer difference in strength between the two of them. “Can you go get the one on the other end of the car too?”

Soon they each held an extinguisher. It was barely large or heavy enough to hurt someone when swung but it was the best they could find. But they still weren’t safe. There was undoubtedly a Shadow somewhere in the train. They needed to make sure that there weren’t any Shadows in the next car. They nodded tacitly at each other, and then inched towards one of the doors connecting to the car ahead. Sumireko hugged the wall to the left, and Sanae the right. When they were both within arm’s reach of the door, Sumireko pointed to the door with her finger.

Sanae nodded. She slowly stuck her head out to look into the car ahead.

There was an identical-looking car with several coffins scattered about and nothing else.

They both retreated back to the center of the car, where they felt secure enough to whisper to each other again.

“The center’s probably the safest.” Sumireko concluded. They’d have the time to run in the other direction if a Shadow appeared.

“We’ll just have to hope they don’t flank us from both sides...” For a moment, Sanae sounded less tense. Sumireko was just about to breathe out in relief when that faint hope was crushed.

“Shh! Did you hear that?”

The two of them became silent. They could now hear the sound of flapping wings approaching them from somewhere. Sumireko made eye contact with Sanae, they both nodded and retreated to kneel behind the aisle seats.

The next thing they heard was the sound of something breaking. Something sharp pierced the glass door. Then a crack. It shattered the glass door and entered.

It was a bird-shaped Shadow, An oversized sparrow, featureless and black. its wings flapped to keep itself in midair, although its legs by no means looked weak. Its mask was worn on its chest, bearing the Roman numeral II.

The Shadow landed on the ground, stepping on and crushing glass shards underneath its feet. With every step a crunching sound reverberated inside Sumireko’s ear. It was two full aisle seats away and didn’t seem to have noticed the two of them. But neither Sumireko or Sanae could afford to make a sound anymore.

Sumireko hoped sincerely it wouldn’t come any closer. With every step it took, Sumireko’s heart was beating faster and faster. She looked at the door nearby. The layout of the train would make it so that if the Shadow gets closer, it would notice the two. Sumireko saw Sanae on her opposite side, looking at the thing with dread.

There was no other way. Sumireko decided to make a run for it.

Leaping out of her hiding place and grabbing Sanae in front of her, Sumireko reached out for the door. This grabbed the Shadow’s attention and it let out a loud screech before taking off from the ground.

It was not as agile as its small form suggested, allowing Sumireko to be able to grip into the door and push Sanae through it before rushing in herself.

A faint, distant, serene humming filled her ears the moment she passed through the door. The moment she heard it, Sumireko’s vision blackened out.

She was overwhelmed by a disorienting sensation, and was on the verge of losing her footing. However, she still felt her grip on the door’s handle and the fire extinguisher held in her other hand. Amidst this sudden blindness, the anchoring points on her hands helped Sumireko push forward and close the door behind her in one quick motion.

Her sight returned right after, and she saw a worried Sanae right in front of her. Sumireko turned towards the door and yelped when she saw the Shadow peeking over the glass. Surrounded by the pitch darkness of the car, it was like a floating mask peering in.

The two of them immediately began running away.

“What was that? That strange humming, what was up with-”

“I don’t know! Let’s keep going first, Usami-san!” Panicked, Sanae pulled Sumireko’s hand and rushed. The door was not too far ahead.

But again, the hauntingly beautiful sound of humming came and so did the bout of blindness. It was alluring, as if her mind was being lured in by the sound, but then the loss of vision and concentration made Sumireko trip on something and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Her grip on the extinguisher slipped away, and she felt her glasses crack. She didn’t dare to open her eyes yet, fearing the shards going into her eyes.

The moment her vision returned, Sumireko attempted to grab the extinguisher but the Shadow had broken through the door during her bout of blindness earlier, and it dove in towards Sumireko’s direction. Sumireko realized it just in time and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding its impact. She caught a close glimpse of the Shadow as it happened. The darkness of its form. Without hesitation or doubt, it was aiming to kill her.

Using the moment as an opportunity, Sanae jumped in and smashed the Shadow stuck on the ground with her fire extinguisher. The unpleasant sound of metal crushing flesh rang, but unfettered, Sanae kept hitting it.

Sumireko sat there, more grateful than bothered by the violence.

“Are… are you alright, Usami-san?” Sanae puffed once she got one more hit in, and then tossed the extinguisher to the side. Its shape was oddly bent.

“I’m fine... Look out!”

The splatter of black liquid on the ground reformed into a sparrow right underneath Sanae and lashed out at her. Sumireko pulled Sanae’s wrist back, saving Sanae except for a deep gash on the green-haired girl’s thigh as Sanae let out a cry.

Instead of striking right away, the Shadow stood back up on its legs and spread out its wings. Its silhouette doubled in size.

Once it dived in again, it would be fatal. Its beak pierced through the floor easily. Sumireko eyed the hole where it landed.

Tremble.

Sumireko felt Sanae’s grip on her shirt loosen, but the sensation of Sanae trembling didn’t leave her. Before Sanae could step up to cover her, Sumireko dove forward. This time, she would protect Sanae.

Instead of jumping towards the Shadow, Sumireko stepped to the side, barely avoiding the reach of its wings. Sumireko didn’t know how to roll properly but when she landed on the floor again the momentum of her jump pushed her forward slightly. Now they were separated. The Shadow had to pick one person to focus on.

It turned to Sumireko.

She looked around her and found what she was looking for: the extinguisher she dropped earlier. She grabbed hold of it and aimed the nozzle at the Shadow.

“Sanae, run!” Sumireko shouted and fired at it, the white foamy fog spurted and hitting the Shadow at full force. The extinguisher was tiny and wouldn’t dent a thing, but if aimed at the eye it would hopefully blind it. Holding on to the now-empty extinguisher can, Sumireko turned around and ran as fast as she could.

Sumireko made it to the door and Sanae stood next to her. She was still able to run even with the wound on her thigh. She was resilient.

“Let’s go into the next carriage!”

Sanae nodded and opened the door. The next car was identical to the last one but…

“It’s the last car! There’s no more cars to run into!” Sumireko saw the door ahead led outside, except they were suspended high up in the air.

“Then we’ll just have to…” Sumireko grabbed hold of the nearest coffin and stacked it at the door. She wasn’t thinking properly at this time. Even if they were people, right now all that Sumireko wanted was for herself and Sanae to survive. “Let’s use these to block the door!”

Sanae looked at Sumireko strangely, but she reluctantly agreed by doing the same. In moments, the two of them had built a small barricade.

“These are people…” Sanae was shaking as she pushed the last coffin to the barricade.

“... I’ve well, tried to play around with these coffins before.” Sumireko sheepishly scratched her head in an attempt to lighten the situation. “Didn’t get anywhere really, but they don’t break easily.”

Sanae looked at her with disbelief.

“Don’t uh, tell the others that, though. Kirijo-senpai will tell me off.”

Their moment was disrupted when they heard a loud impact sound from the barricade of coffins. Sumireko and Sanae pushed against it with all their might. The push came again, not deterred by the joint force of two girls.

“I-if this barricade breaks…! Can I try hitting them with the coffins?!” Sanae asked desperately. She was already becoming accustomed to treating coffins that way.

“I don’t know if you should!” If it wasn’t such a troubling situation, Sumireko would be rather happy.

The barricade was pushed away. Sumireko and Sanae fell to the ground and the bird Shadow burst through. The coffins themselves remained in perfect shape even as they violently tumbled to the floor.

Sumireko only had an empty can left, and Sanae a misshapen can. The most they could do was hold theirs like weapons. No, all that they had left was her own empty can. Just now, Sanae threw her extinguisher at the Shadow in panic, not harming it at all.

Sumireko’s breathing turned frantic. She wondered if she could perhaps summon a Persona without an Evoker anyway. It wasn’t like she had any other choice but to hope at that point. She felt she had to hope or she’d have nothing left. Maybe she could make Renko manifest in front of her just like that. Imagine a tarot card and summon a Persona from it.

Sumireko closed her eyes as the Shadow approached. All that she could feel was Sanae’s shivering, sweating hand that gripped her arm as Sumireko imagined the form of Renko in her mind. Picturing it, she drew the image into reality, and...

Just before the Shadow jumped again, a white light flashed and covered it, along with a gust of wind that fluttered their skirts. The next moment, the Shadow was gone as Sumireko opened her eyes.

“...That actually worked?”

“What are you talking about?” A calm, familiar voice scolded her almost immediately.

Sumireko turned behind to see Reimu standing there, the train window behind her perfectly intact. How had she gotten in?

Reimu looked back at Sumireko as if she could read her mind, and replied nonchalantly. “I flew in.”

“Hakurei-senpai!” Sanae rushed over to Reimu, who patted her head to calm her down. Sumireko too felt her own shoulder fall in relief.

“I’m glad to see the two of you safe.” Reimu said with her usual, unchanging expression. Sumireko was never so glad to see that distant look on her face. It was a reliable presence amidst a situation like this.

“Y-yes. So far only one Shadow chased us, but we know there should be another here. And…” Sumireko steadied her breathing. She tried to calm herself now that she was safe. Soon, her thoughts gradually sorted themselves out. A detail came across her mind. “There was also a strange humming sound when we ran earlier. Just hearing it made our sight go dark somehow.”

“That must be the work of the enemy Shadow.” Reimu mused to herself, before looking at the coffins lying around. She visibly frowned. “Next time, don’t mess around with those coffins.”

“Understood.” Sanae and Sumireko replied in unison. At least Reimu was blunt and brief.

“Also…” Reimu tossed a small bag to Sumireko. Sumireko caught it and felt a hard, metallic object inside. “Here’s your Evoker. Couldn’t find Sanae’s in time, and Marisa hadn’t returned yet when you called us so we couldn’t borrow hers.”

Holding the Evoker tight, Sumireko felt happy with the comfort it gave her. She could feel that Renko was there. Behind her, Sanae stood quiet and concerned, a guilty look etched on her face.

“...Let’s go, Sanae.” Sumireko tried to console her. Reimu in the meantime was already looking forward. Her expression twitched.

“Get ready, Usami.”

Moments after Reimu said that, the windows near them shattered as more of the bird-like Shadows invaded into the car. There were three of them this time. All were ready to dive at the three.

“Persona!”

A loud bang. Reimu pulled her trigger before Sumireko could. In front of her now was a large, strange manta-like creature that roared before striking one of the Shadows with a barrage of icicles, not unlike Renko’s own Bufu.

The sight distracted Sumireko for a moment, but Sanae’s yelp brought her back to her senses. She pulled the trigger herself to summon Renko. The Persona grabbed her lyre and smashed the bird Shadow into the window. The force made it splatter into black sludge and evaporated. Before Sumireko was able to attack again, Reimu had used her Persona to annihilate the remaining bird.

Unlike last time, the birds didn’t reform. Having a Persona made all the difference.

“Stay focused. We still need to find the source of that humming.” Reimu’s stern voice snapped Sumireko back into reality as she rushed towards the next train. Sumireko and Sanae followed suit. Another set of three birds attacked them again on the next train. This time, Reimu simply used Abe no Seimei and bathed them all simultaneously with light, disintegrating them.

And then more of the birds came. After one point, the two stopped using spells and relied on their Persona’s physical attacks as the constant attacks gradually drained their stamina. Even if the birds were not a threat, they couldn’t afford to be wasteful.

After passing through a few more doors, the three of them arrived at the frontmost car.

What greeted them there, right at the very end of the car, was a Shadow whose size filled a full aisle. It too was a bird-shaped Shadow, with a beak and pair of wings. Without room to spread, its wings were crammed around the car. Its feathers were pink and a young feminine caricature of a face was buried into its chest.

“It’s like a siren...” Sumireko found herself muttering.

“Hide in the car behind us, Kochiya.” Reimu declared and stepped forward. Sanae obeyed timidly, leaving just the two of them to fight the large Shadow.

“We outnumber this thing, this should be p-pretty fine.” Sumireko tried to sound confident. Reimu held her shoulder instead, steadying her as Sumireko saw the Shadow start moving in response to their arrival.

The Shadow in front of her flapped its wing and sent a volley of feathers into the air. Sumireko and Reimu prepared for a volley of attacks, but instead the feathers gathered together into three lumps floating in the air. Each of them in order morphed into a bird-shaped Shadow. There were soon three of them floating just in front of the larger Shadow.

“Not anymore.” Reimu shot her needle at one of the recently formed Shadows. Before it hit, the other two Shadows intercepted and caught the projectile with their beaks. In mocking retaliation, they snapped the needle in half.

That got to Reimu. She threw again, this time three needles aimed at each one. However, in perfect unison the three Shadows flew out in a triangle formation, each catching a needle. Again, three snaps. Six needle pieces fell to the ground.

“Zio!” Reimu pulled out her Evoker and summoned a now-familiar seductive female demon as her Persona. Lilim, or so Sumireko remembered its name was. A strike of lightning shot forward but its three minions dodged flawlessly. The three birds then returned to their previous triangle formation while the larger Shadow behind perched menacingly, unmoving.

“It’s being passive.” Reimu remarked. Her fingers fiddled with the Evoker she held. “I wonder why. Usami, fire a spell at it.”

“U-understood. Bufu!” Sumireko hastily fired hers. Renko played her lyre and conjured a block of ice in midair. It violently spun and flew towards the larger Shadow at the back. Before reaching its target, a strong gust of wind shaved the block of ice into tiny little pieces.

“It can use wind magic!”

Sumireko’s words were cut off by a flurry of needles from Reimu that flew past the shredded block of ice. This time they flew past the three birds before they could intercept, and pierced straight into the larger Shadow’s body. It screamed.

No, that wasn’t it. The human part of the Shadow sang. That was what Sumireko could see before her vision blacked out.

The ringing in her head became pleasant. The sweet, sweet melody took away both her vision and attention. She could hear the hurried flapping of wings ahead that told her the three birds were diving straight to impale her and Reimu, but she didn’t feel like moving at all...

“E-eh?”

Sumireko felt a strong tug from behind, that pulled her away to the ground. The next moment, three simultaneous sounds impacted onto the floor just in front of her. Finally, Sumireko saw light return to her eyes. Next to her was Reimu also on the ground, and...

“Sanae!” Sanae had come up to the two of them and pulled them out of harm’s way. She still had a distraught look on her face, a nervous drop of sweat rolled down and her words were paced unevenly due to exhaustion.

“I saw that it was about to scream and remembered how we lost our vision earlier, so I tried to close my ears. It.... actually worked! My vision only went blurry for a little while.”

Reimu immediately stood up and, upon seeing the three Shadows stuck to the floor, summoned Seimei to exorcise them. She then turned to Sanae, “You did well, Kochiya.”

“...Yes.”

Sumireko thought she saw Sanae tear up a little.

“Senpai, I’m sure now that the human side of that Shadow was the source of the blinding song.” Now that she was able to focus, Sumireko relayed the one thing she noticed.

“Then we’ll just break it. I trust you can do that, Usami.”

The Shadow fired its feathers again to resummon its minions, but Sumireko used the moment to fire her Evoker and have Renko smash the bigger Shadow. The Shadow screamed again, blinding Sumireko.

But it didn’t matter. Sanae stood behind Reimu, covering the older girl’s ears. Reimu held up her Evoker and summoned a flurry of attacks.

It was so large that it was unable to dodge Renko’s attacks, and Sumireko could hear Reimu dispatching the minions with ease on her own.

What was once fear turned to courage as Sumireko kept pulling the trigger even when blinded. She felt Renko’s lyre crush the Shadow over and over again. Around her she heard gusts of wind bello and destroy the floor and the ceiling, but none of them hit Sumireko. She could hear something cracking, but she still continued.

“Perso-“

And then, everything stopped.

In the midst of the darkness, Sumireko felt a pair of eyes watching her. Pain invaded her head before she lost all sensation as if she had fallen unconscious.

Yet, those pair of eyes remained. It was as if those eyes were interested in her.

“Usami!”

A breeze of wind blew her back to reality.

Sumireko opened her eyes to find herself in the midst of a meadow. Reimu and Sanae stood beside her. The sky above was orange and cloudy. The sun was about to set. Was it a dream? Sumireko still held her Evoker in her hand.

A distant screeching confirmed that was not the case.

“Hakurei-senpai, what happened?” Sumireko stood up. The barrage of attacks earlier left her mentally exhausted. Reimu was gazing upwards, and Sumireko followed that gaze to see the bird shadow and its three minions flying right above them. “Is this a dream?”

“I don’t think so. High Priestess dragged us into this place, somehow.” Reimu’s voice was filled with uncertainty. High Priestess must be the tarot card this Shadow corresponded to. “At least, I can feel that this place is real.”

The big Shadow only continued to circle around in the sky. As Sumireko focused her eyes on it, it became clear to her that the Shadow was significantly damaged. Its wings were misshapen and its feathers were a mess. It was hard to see from a distance, but Sumireko was sure that its human head was cracked too.

“Once we beat it, we’ll probably be back, right?” Sumireko wasn’t worried. It wasn’t any more unusual than the Dark Hour, she didn’t question it.

She brought her Evoker to her head as the Shadow’s three minions spread away again. The three were moving much faster than before. Sumireko attempted to lock into one of them so Renko could hit them with a Bufu, but her eyes couldn’t focus well.

Reimu in the meantime summoned Seimei, and with the help of her Persona’s ability, took off from the ground.

“Senpai, watch out!” Sanae’s voice drew Sumireko’s attention and gaze. As Reimu flew straight towards High Priestess’ direction, the minions dived towards her direction. Seimei blasted one of them, but Sumireko saw another Shadow flying in from behind. She summoned Renko to blast the bird with Bufu. She let out a sigh of relief as the attack landed, but it was disrupted with a loud thud.

Reimu crashed into the ground. Sumireko saw small cuts on her skin, and her appearance was slightly tattered. Thankfully, she stood up and used Dia on herself before dusting herself off. Despite the height it didn’t look fatal.

“Hakurei-senpai, what happened?”

“The Shadow hit me with a Garu directly.” Reimu looked upwards as High Priestess remade the two defeated minions. It let out another screech and the minions moved again.

With a wide sky to navigate through, the three smaller Shadows flew away from each other at a high speed and then dived down towards the three girls.

Seimei by her side, Reimu flew up to intercept them.

The next moment, a blast of wind pushed Reimu tumbling to the ground. At the same time, a bird Shadow fell too, covered in needles. Two Shadows remained and aimed for Sumireko and Sanae.

“Renko!” Sumireko gave up any thought of trying to hit the other two, she was nowhere near as accurate or skilled. With Sanae powerless behind her, she couldn’t afford to take out only one and lose.

“Bufu!” Instead she slammed her lyre to the ground. A pillar of ice formed, barely covering both Sumireko and Sanae. In response the Shadows split up in two different directions whilst still aiming straight at them. They flew in from opposite directions, certain to skewer Sumireko from both sides.

“I can’t mess this up…!” Sumireko muttered to herself as she took up position.

One Shadow dove in from the right and after carefully aiming, Renko swung her lyre at it, crushing it against the ground. Immediately the other dove in towards Sumireko and Sanae. Sumireko narrowly managed to dodge it while also pushing Sanae away, but that was soon followed by a sudden windblast that knocked her to the ground.

Sanae ran over to her. “Usami-san, are you alright?!”

Everything felt painful, then the pain receded. She saw Reimu had approached her, her Dia allowed Sumireko to get back to her feet again. Reimu herself was looking quite worn out already, even if her look of determination remained.

“Err...what do we do now?” Sumireko dusted herself off as she stood from the ground. Nearby she saw a spot on the ground that was burned out. Reimu had already exterminated the last of the three minion Shadows. For the time being, they survived the onslaught.

Reimu’s eyes surveyed the strange battlefield. “I can’t get close. I can’t dodge its Garu while I’m flying. And if we sit still, the birds will fly in and they’ll also skewer us or cast wind magic at-”

“No... wait a second.” Sumireko interrupted Reimu. What the older girl said said made her realize something. “The smaller birds can’t cast Garu at all. If they could, both me and Sanae would’ve been dead by now.”

What the birds did so far was merely attacking them physically and flying around. The Garu attacks were entirely coming from High Priestess itself. Reimu was only struck down once she was attacked by the birds. Normally that would be a waste. If a Garu could knock her down, the birds should’ve only come afterwards to kill Reimu while she was downed.

Then Sumireko realized. Everything added up.

“I think the smaller birds act as the eyes for the big one.” Sumireko voiced her theory. “It only attacks with Garu once it confirmed our position using them.”

Sumireko felt proud with that theory once she voiced it. However, that did not solve the situation. Even if they knew how its attacks worked, the minions prevented them from being able to reach High Priestess too far above. Her ice projectile would be intercepted before then and Reimu’s Zio didn’t seem to work either...

Sumireko looked at Sanae. Something came to mind.

“I think trying to get close is not going to work. I can’t shoot the three minions fast enough, and Hakurei-senpai’s Mahama can’t hit all three at once reliably.” Sumireko looked upwards, as the Shadow reformed its minions again. “So, let’s just try to bypass all that and bring the big bird down from here.”

“Usami-san, you have an idea?”

“If its Garu is strong enough to reach here, I think we can use our own Garu against it.” Sumireko said the first thing on her mind. It felt childish, but her inner glee made her continue. “I tried to shoot at it earlier, but it blasted the ice away before it could reach the target. So...I think, why not use a Garu to launch icicles at it?”

“Ah.” Sanae’s face lit up. “In that case, Hakurei-senpai, may-”

“I can do it.” Reimu stood up. Sumireko noticed the light on Sanae’s face disappeared as she frowned for a split second. “Angel can use Garu.”

Well, whoever was going to help her with it, Sumireko was fine as long as they could at least try. Sumireko nodded before going over her plan with Reimu. The two reached understanding on what to do, and just as the bird minions flew down again, Sumireko pulled the trigger.

“Persona!”

Time slowed down to a crawl. Looking upwards, Sumireko moved to an open spot where she could fire at the big bird. She gave a hand gesture towards Reimu’s direction, and pulled the trigger one more time. Renko emerged, and icicles formed in front of her with a swipe of her lyre. As the vibration of its lyre strings ceded, time resumed its normal flow.

The icicles fired upwards. At the same time, guided by Sumireko’s gestures, Reimu summoned Angel in time to cast Garu to propel the icicles further. The minions noticed the attack, but it was too late.

The accelerated icicles pierced through High Priestess’ wings. Black blood-like substance dripped with large quantity from the damage it sustained. With its twice-broken wings, High Priestess fell to the ground with a loud thud moments later.

“Now!”

Sumireko wasn’t sure what happened after. All she did was keep pulling the trigger over and over again. Reimu did roughly the same, blasting the Shadow with all they had.

The minions flew in to attack the two, but with every hit Sumireko inflicted on the bigger Shadow, their flights faltered.

Sumireko felt her energy draining up. She was going to collapse. If this didn’t finish it they’d be in trouble. But she felt that every single hit connected deep.

No, this wasn’t enough. She needed to damage it further. She wasn’t satisfied with just this.

Ice didn’t feel as effective at piercing skin compared to just hitting it over and over again. She felt that she and Renko were the same at this moment. Lyre in hand, she brought it down and up and down again and again until she felt her arms tire, and she continued. Bashing it over and over and over again.

A scream from the large bird became its last. Its large form turned to mush, and it gradually dissipated into black sludge before evaporating.

One last smash at the empty landscape, it meant nothing but it felt satisfying. The next moment, Sumireko dropped to her knees as she saw the world in front of her transform. From the afternoon sky atop a grasslands back to the now-ruined train car. It was like a dream world fading to reveal the reality beneath it.

Sanae caught Sumireko before she collapsed to the ground. Reimu was still nearby, looking equally drained. With the end of their ordeal, so too will the Dark Hour end for the night soon enough. Whatever happened next, Sumireko couldn’t find the energy to care.

“Is… it over?” Sumireko managed to speak out weakly. She felt too tired to breathe properly.

“You saved me again, Usami-san.” As Sanae clutched onto her, Sumireko got a good look at her face.

She hadn’t seen such a disconnect between words and expression before.

X-X-X

May 10th, 2009  
Sunday

The day after, Sumireko could barely bring herself to get out of her bed. It was natural, of course. The moment Sumireko woke up, she felt like dying. Her bones ached. She imagined that even the indomitable Reimu felt the same tiredness after what happened. However, contrary to her expectation, when she met her that morning, Reimu looked surprisingly healthy. What was she made of? Sumireko was more scared by her than the Shadow last night.

It did feel almost unnatural that they didn’t debrief and discuss the moment they got back, but as Marisa put it simply the morning after, “We’re all too tired and there’s class to deal with tomorrow. It’s weird but time waits for no one, not even the weary from fighting Shadow bosses.”

“Was that supposed to sound sophisticated?”

Sumireko didn’t listen to the rest of their exchange before both Marisa and Reimu left her room that morning. The moment the two left the room, Sumireko collapsed again almost immediately.

It was only in the evening that Sumireko felt well enough to go downstairs. She almost threw up when she pushed herself from the bed. Her glasses were too ruined after last night, so for now she decided to wear contacts instead. It felt unpleasant.

Once she finally got downstairs, it was Mitsuru who greeted her.

“Are you feeling fine, Usami?”

“Uh, well…” Sumireko weakly stared into the kitchen. She wasn’t sure she had it in herself to reply in the affirmative, but more than that she wanted to eat. She hadn’t had anything for the last twenty hours.

She must’ve been so easily readable in that moment that Mitsuru was able to notice what she needed. “...Alright, I may not know how to cook but I’ll get you something to eat. Sit, Usami.” Mitsuru smiled a little and headed into the kitchen. Sumireko hoped that meant she wasn’t very angry.

Her cooking tasted horrible by the way, but Sumireko kept that opinion to herself.

At 9 PM, everyone gathered in the living room. Everyone but Chairman Ikutsuki, who said he needed to do some maintenance for the meeting room on the fourth floor.

Reimu looked unfazed like always, Mitsuru was strangely relaxed, Marisa was seemingly distracted by some thought on her mind and Sanae, at least, did not look gloomy. It was the first time Sumireko had seen her that day. Looking at everyone, it seemed to be a good sign that the briefing wouldn’t end badly.

“I am very angry, Kochiya.”

That hope didn’t last. Mitsuru declared that outright to start off. “Your phone battery running out is not an excuse to go out on your own at night, especially not when Shadow activity is still as high as it is now. Had it not been for Usami finding you, you might be dead.”

Sumireko let out a sigh of relief, at least it was just-

“And you, Usami.” Mitsuru was not done yet. “Why did you not return immediately? Were those games more important to you two than your own lives?”

Sumireko felt her heart became heavier with guilt. She had no arguments to make. She really got carried away.

“We still don’t know anything about this new Shadow you three faced. It managed to make quite a mess in the train, of which you two are very fortunate to not be questioned by the authorities for, looking as injured and messed up as you were.” Mitsuru let out a sigh as the tension on her face disappeared. “I am glad that nothing too concerning happened otherwise.”

Sumireko looked up. She had expected the lecture to last much, much longer.

“Ultimately, it was but an unfortunate set of circumstances.” Mitsuru said with great reluctance. “I won’t go further than this. Consider yourselves warned.”

Sumireko couldn’t believe her ears. She wasn’t going to receive a harsher punishment than before! And neither was Sanae.

“Though,” Marisa was the one talking now. “Reimu said that the Shadow somehow transported the three of you into a strange place. That was a first. For the place itself, did you find anything strange about it?”

“I...well, I don’t know what to say. We were too occupied with the Shadow to notice anything peculiar. Everything there was peculiar and weird.” Sumireko answered.

“In any case.” Mitsuru raised her voice again. “What is important is that the two of you survived. I do think that it and your victory yesterday is worthy of a little celebration. Let us let any further talk happen after the festivities start.”

Sumireko looked at her, again confused. Upon seeing her confused face, Marisa paused and then grinned, as if to reassure her. The next thing she knew, a generous sushi platter has been served in front of them. It didn’t take Sumireko a second to jump at them, to cleanse herself from her earlier food. It felt strange. Just last night she almost died, but now she was celebrating a victory with the others. Marisa was talking openly with Mitsuru and Reimu about something related to school. Sanae was still quiet though, occasionally stealing glances to those three. She was just as shaken by the change in mood as Sumireko was, she assumed.

Marisa was laughing when she approached Sumireko. She was louder than usual, but perhaps the celebration made her even more loose than normal.

“You wouldn’t believe it, but Reimu and Mitsuru were arguing over this just a bit earlier. It was really heated, you’d have to see it for yourself.”

“Kirisame.” Mitsuru’s stern voice resounded. Marisa didn’t seem to care however.

“I thought it would be an all-out brawl between the two, but it ended up surprisingly more peaceful than I expected.” She shrugged. “Those sisters sure have a strange dynamic with each other.”

“...Wait, what?”

What did she just say? Sumireko couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Like, during midday the two met with each other and well, discussed it at the meeting room for a while.” Marisa looked as if she just remembered an inside joke that she wanted to tell everyone but couldn’t, and seemed to be relished the feeling. “Wait...right, you’re probably asleep at that time. With how loud they were I’m surprised that-“

“No, before that…” Sumireko turned to the two of them. “Those two are sisters?!”

Silence.

“Did… they never tell you?” Marisa was the first to break it.

“But their last names, how could I tell? They didn’t even remotely look similar!” Sumireko recalled her interactions with the two of them, how similarly strict they were at times… No, even if her mind tried to look for similarities, there wasn’t anything that served as a valid hint. They just had some weird tension around each other. It was outrageous, so Sumireko forgot to be quiet. “You aren’t joking about this, are you?”

“Hakurei is adopted. She… insisted keeping her last name different.” Mitsuru looked to the side, away from where Reimu sat. “I apologize, I thought someone else must’ve told you already.”

“So did I, to be honest.” Marisa laughed again, more awkwardly. “I thought Reimu told you.”

Eyes turned to Reimu.

“... I thought it would be easy to tell.” Reimu too looked to the side, fist covering her mouth, away from Mitsuru and the rest of them.

“Reimu, you and your…” Marisa left the last part unsaid. Sumireko sympathized with Marisa at that moment.

“In that case, let me officially re-introduce the two of us.” Mitsuru ignored Reimu and turned to Sumireko. “I am Mitsuru Kirijo, the heir to the Kirijo Corporation. Reimu Hakurei is my adopted sister as of eight years ago.”

“Err...good to meet you.” The reintroduction felt awkward and Sumireko couldn’t think of the right, polite thing to say.. But it didn’t really change anything. Ultimately, it really was as they said. It wasn’t too important, even if it felt like an earth-shattering reveal.

The celebratory mood returned. Sumireko worked up a little of her courage to talk with Marisa about a few things. Marisa was really easy to talk to, even if she seemed distracted by something else occasionally. Even Reimu was looking oddly pleasant. Even if she and Mitsuru didn’t talk, Sumireko didn’t see the usual tension that hung around them.

It was not until it was close to eleven that they ran out of food. Everyone was preparing to leave at that time, but it was Sanae that stood up first. Something felt amiss. Sumireko realized that she hadn’t said anything since the start of the group meeting.

“I…” Sanae spoke up. “I have something I want to say.”

Everyone’s eyes were on her.

“I apologize for the trouble I caused everyone. I’m not fit to be here. With this, I’ve decided to resign from SEES.”

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. Hopefully we will be able to update more frequently now. Apologies for the long hiatus.
> 
> As another note, Chapter 1-5 alongside the Prologue is currently undergoing rewriting. There won't be any changes in the plot due to this, but I hope we are able to make those chapters more solid once this is done.


	17. Sanae-san

X-X-X

### Chapter 14: Sanae-san

May 15th, 2009  
Friday

Five days passed.

On the day Sumireko returned to class, a lot of students were curious about the ‘mysterious’ incident that left a train ravaged and barraged her with questions. But after a few days, it was quickly forgotten.

It was a little discouraging.

But it was at least a distraction. For Sumireko, she needed one.

Sanae’s announcement last Sunday had thrown SEES into disarray. Sumireko froze in a state of shock as Sanae retreated to her room in silence. Mitsuru attempted to look as if she had control of the situation as if anyone was able to be fooled this time. Reimu went straight to talk to Sanae, and Marisa stopped her before she could climb the stairs. Marisa reasoned that pressing her further about it at that time would only make the situation worse.

To Mitsuru’s credit, she handled it as well as a leader might have after the initial shock. She managed to hold a talk with Sanae by Monday, and by night she announced that Sanae was officially leaving SEES and moving out from the dorm.

And so, Sanae had been avoiding everyone from SEES since then. Even Sumireko couldn’t get through to her. Sanae still came to school and acted normally, but she would immediately go back to her room after class. And for breakfast and dinner, Sanae ate before or after everyone else. There hadn’t been a chance to talk to her privately. If it was not for Marisa’s constant attempts to lower the tension, who knew what Reimu might do here.

An uncomfortable tension persisted through the following days on the dorm. Not even the news of the sharp decline of Shadow activities helped to ease things. No one was in the mood to deal with the Abyss right now.

That brought her back to the present, and Sumireko sighed. Sumireko stole glances towards Sanae’s direction. Sanae was talking to Daiya and her two lackeys. It was hard to discern what her expression was from this angle. Sumireko wondered whether perhaps Daiya or the other two noticed that anything was off with Sanae.

Then from the corner, she saw a short, blonde girl wearing her hair in twin-tails walked in to talk to them. Sumireko couldn’t hear what they talked about, but right afterward the three of them, Sanae, Daiya, and the blonde, stepped out of the classroom.

Sumireko’s gaze hung at the doorway the three disappeared into until she couldn’t take it anymore and stood up as well. It was lunchtime, and she had no desire to stay in class anyway After a little wandering around, Sumireko found the three of them at a standstill at the stairs. She hid somewhere near.

“I do not see why this should be a problem.” Sumireko heard Daiya’s cool-mannered, slightly irritated voice.

“Shouldn’t you be more cooperative, Kasukabe Daiya?!” That was likely the new person Sumireko didn’t know about. Her frilly voice matched her short, blonde stature. “This is so Yumemi-sensei can get to know everyone!”

“What I wish to do in the future is something I decide for myself. I do not require this consultation service the school is providing me with.”

In the midst of Daiya’s stroking of her own ego, Sumireko realized what was being talked about. She was reminded of the job consultation form she was handed last Monday. It had slipped her mind entirely. She didn’t even have any idea where her form was now.

“Don’t be so stubborn!”

“Um, I think we should...” Sumireko heard Sanae trying to calm the conversation down. Her voice was so quiet Sumireko had to lean in further to hear what the green-haired girl was going to say, only to be seen by Sanae herself. “...Usami-san.”

That made the other two turn towards Sumireko’s direction as well.

“Uh… I couldn’t help overhearing.” Sumireko came up with the best line she could have at that very moment. It was not very convincing.

“It is no big deal. But since you are here, what do you think?” It was not Sanae but Daiya who turned the question to her.

Sumireko’s glance went to Sanae, hoping the latter could defuse the situation. Yet instead, Sanae clammed up and gazed downwards, showing discomfort at Sumireko’s presence. It told Sumireko nothing about what they were talking about. “Well...”

“Wait, I haven’t gotten the form from you either, Usami Sumireko!” The short blonde girl piped up again. “You two are the only ones left who haven’t turned it in!”

“I have a right to keep my future to myself,” Daiya interjected from the side.

“I don’t care about your rights! I care about helping Yumemi-sensei and you’re not doing that!” Chiyuri was fuming. It seemed as if their argument was getting back on track. The tension in the air felt so thick, Sumireko felt like she was able to grasp it physically.

But, surprisingly it was Chiyuri that relented first and calmed herself. “No, I got carried away. Kasukabe, Usami, I’ll be looking for you two after school, so please be cooperative. It’s for your own and Yumemi-sensei’s sake. I apologize for earlier.”

_Yumemi-sensei’s sake?_ Sumireko was confused about that part. Meanwhile, Daiya’s expression was unconvinced until the little girl bowed, of all things. Then, in a very hesitant manner, she replied. “...Very well.”

Satisfied, the little girl then turned to Sumireko. “Then, what about the esteemed Usami Sumireko?”

“I don’t… mind either”, felt like the only proper response to give, for Sumireko. Even though she had no idea where she had placed the form. Something about the way the girl referred to her didn’t sit well with Sumireko, however.

“Thank you. Enjoy your lunch, then. Remember, I will be waiting after school.” The girl bowed to them once again and walked away. With how nonchalantly she left, it sure felt that the blonde was not exactly feeling bad about yelling earlier.

However, the first thing out of Sumireko’s mouth, unwillingly, was “Who was that?”

Sumireko looked to Sanae, hoping for an answer but even attempts to make eye contact was rejected by the latter. Instead, it was Daiya that answered, “That was the class representative, Chiyuri Kitashirakawa. I suppose she was beneath your notice, o’ great Usami.”

Sumireko did not miss the little bit of condescension in that answer but chose to ignore it. She had a fair share of interaction with jerks before.

“In any case, I’ll… go to lunch as well.” Sanae then dismissed herself as well, quickly running downstairs as if she had something urgent to tend to. Or avoid.

It couldn’t be helped. Sumireko supposed that was the end of that little scene. She was about to turn back as well when she was interrupted.

“Wait.”

Of course, it was by Daiya Kasukabe. Sanae’s most prominent friend. Miss-prestigious-stuck up-extraordinaire. Yet another typical popular girl at school. Sumireko didn’t want to have anything to do with her. She wanted to ignore her, but Daiya held onto her shoulder before Sumireko could leave.

Sumireko turned around. Her expression was neutral, but inside she was shaking. She didn’t want to show any sign of weaknesses to exploit, but she was worried that she let anything slip... “Is this about the form earlier?”

“That is irrelevant.” Daiya dismissed. “Of much more importance is what I will ask you.”

Daiya gestured to the spot next to her where Sanae stood earlier, where they could oversee the outside scenery from the stair windows. Sumireko had a feeling she could not escape, so she nodded and walked over. The two girls leaned over the railing before continuing.

“You must be the cause of Sanae’s recent change in mood. What has happened?”

“Uh, nothing at all…?” Sumireko feigned ignorance. Daiya had gone straight to the point, and it had caught her off-guard.

“Nonsense. This concerns my dear Sanae, so I will take this very seriously.” Without even a hint of embarrassment, this girl in front of Sumireko declared loudly, as if she was trying to put pressure on Sumireko. “Ever since you two got involved on that train accident, something about Sanae changed. And just now she was avoiding you. ”

Sumireko found herself nodding along slowly.

“It is clear that you are involved somehow. It would be reasonable for me to point my finger at you.” Perhaps carried away by the heat of the conversation, but Daiya did exactly that, her finger pointing right at Sumireko. “Miss transfer student, I demand your answer.”

“N-no, that’s…” Sumireko raised her hands up in a hurry. Daiya piled a lot of pressure onto her. Sumireko waved her arms, gesturing to tell that she didn’t do anything about this. Daiya kept her stare at her in the meantime, her gaze piercing through the gaps in Sumireko’s fingers as Sumireko covered her face with her hands. Daiya right now was an overwhelming as a public prosecutor.

“Usami Sumireko! You are the center of Sanae’s issues, right?”

“Oh, I wish!” Sumireko yelled the first words that came to her mind. She could feel the pressure lessened as Daiya lowered her finger. Sumireko stopped covering her face. Yelling that had given some willpower back to her. She had no intention of being blamed in this situation. “If only... I would at least know her issue. She never said anything to me! You’re the one that talks to her every day, not me!”

Silence.

It took a few moments before Sumireko realized her outburst. “Err...I mean, I’m also at a loss with Sanae. The past week she has been avoiding me for some reason I don’t know...”

Sumireko looked at Daiya’s perplexed expression. Was it disappointment? Reading Daiya’s expression was hard. While it was not a development she expected...it actually felt nice. She felt like for once she’s being on top of one of those sort of jerks.

“... So, you don’t know anything?” Daiya pressed again without the same conviction as before.

“Nothing.” Sumireko injected some confidence into those words, making sure she stayed on top of this conversation. In response, Daiya let out a sigh and stopped leaning near the edge of the window. Leaving just when Sumireko served no use to her. How convenient.

Sumireko couldn’t let that happen.

“May I ask you something this time, Daiya-san?” Sumireko raised her voice. Daiya really was intimidating. However, this was about Sanae. Now that Daiya was vulnerable, it was Sumireko’s chance to attack. She needed to know more about Sanae from her. “You said something about Sanae’s recent changes earlier, right? Please tell me everything about it.”

“Hm?” Daiya stopped in her tracks and eyed Sumireko questioningly. She emanated a menacing pressure even without actively attempting to be intimidating, and Sumireko felt her will faltering. But she stood on her ground and kept her eyes on Daiya until finally, Daiya replied.

“Indeed, it is only fair I respond.”

Sumireko felt a large weight lift off her shoulders.

“Sanae has been acting... odd the past few weeks. She often makes excuses to get away from our group study sessions, she spaces out often, and she gets surprised easily as if her attention wasn’t really there. Her eyes don’t light up when we visit our favorite patisseries anymore… Of course, I shouldn’t neglect to mention her loss of weight. This all got much worse the past few days, however. I cannot fathom why...” Sumireko listened and nodded along. Her detective work finally went smoothly for once. However, Daiya continued on and on, and at one point Sumireko felt that Daiya was perhaps a stalker of a sort. Sumireko kept that thought to herself.

“It should be her birthday soon too, so she should not be this unhappy…” Daiya added, muttering to herself.

“O-of course, that’s a good point.” Sumireko had a feeling she had heard this somewhere before but forgot entirely.

“However, shouldn’t you have also noticed all these things? And you dare to think you’re anywhere close to Sanae?”

“I...maybe I was a little preoccupied to notice,” Sumireko admitted, ashamed. She felt guilt about it, but going further than this would make Daiya dominate her again. 

“Hmph. You should pay closer attention to those important to you.” Daiya let out a sigh as if disappointed at Sumireko. She shifted her glance sideways, asking meekly. “Not to intrude rudely, but how did you get to be close to her in the first place?”

“Well… I live next to her, and... _things_ happened.” Sumireko started off in an unsure manner, but she slowly found her rhythm. “We got into an accident together, and so forth and that’s how it goes.” It was hard to explain how the two got close without saying anything about SEES or Sanae’s arcade habits. Even if she just said that she and Sanae were in the same club, that would only make someone like Daiya look deeper into it. In the end, she felt it most appropriate to summarize everything as, “It all happened pretty fast.”

“...I see.” Daiya nodded, not as a sign of respect to Sumireko but as an act of contemplation. Sumireko saw Daiya’s hands shaking, however, and decided to take a few steps back while Daiya did not notice her.

“In… any case, Sanae is a bit of a pain, isn’t she?” Sumireko attempted to melt the situation. “If only she’d just tell me her issues straightforwardly.”

Unexpectedly, Daiya did not become offended but instead, turned her eyes upward. “I suppose I must agree... Sanae puts up quite a distance between herself and everyone else. Even you, it seems.”

“With everyone?” Sumireko glanced sideways as well, feigning non-interest.

“I pride myself for being able to notice, but Sanae does not truly try to get close to someone.” Daiya’s expression was a little hurt. “Sanae is not an outgoing person. She does not rush to speak out and express her feelings. Instead, she keeps her thoughts inside. There is a great deal even I do not know of her.”

Sumireko only stood there, listening. She nodded to what Daiya said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Hmph. Then, this conversation is over.” Daiya Kasukabe spoke and then walked down the stairs as well, leaving Sumireko alone. Sumireko waited until Daiya’s footsteps became distant and then walked down as well.

Somehow, her heart felt heavier for a reason she didn’t understand.

X-X-X

Sumireko ignored the nagging feeling inside her and instead decided that the school’s faux-reporter-slash-rumormonger Aya Shameimaru might be able to give her the clues she needed. But to what exactly?

“Oh, if it isn’t Usami!” Aya waved to Sumireko with a smile when she saw Sumireko enter the classroom. “I heard you were there with Sanae in that accident a few days ago.”

“Wait, how did you-” It didn’t surprise Sumireko anymore. Obviously, Aya Shameimaru would somehow manage to find out. She hung her head and then walked over to see that Aya was talking to another classmate right before she came in. It was the pink-haired Satori. Should she say hello? But then it wasn’t like she was there to make casual talk in the first place… Sumireko decided she wouldn’t and replied back to Aya. “It was purely bad luck. I’m glad we only got bruises this time.”

Aya giggled as if amused by some kind of in-joke. “Still, what were you two doing so late? A late-night date?”

“That’s, well…” Sumireko wasn’t very sure how to deal with that kind of comment. She decided that commenting further on it might give Aya the wrong idea. “That aside, I do want to talk to you about Sanae though.”

“Hmm.” Aya hummed in an interested tune. A glint flashed in her eyes.

“Let’s talk about this outside, in that case.” Aya got up from her seat. “Sorry, Satori. We’ll talk about that rumor again later, alright?”

The pink-haired girl’s face soured but she nodded. “Yeah. Spend some time with the esteemed Sumi-sama over there.”

Sumireko’s ears perked up. _Sumi-sama._ She didn’t remember ever being called that before. What reason would someone she barely knew call her that?

“Well, let’s go then.” Aya cut off Sumireko’s thoughts and led her out of the classroom. Sumireko decided to look back one last time and saw just about everyone in class staring at her. Perhaps this was going to cause more rumors. But she understood she didn’t have the leisure to think about it. 

They relocated to an empty hallway. Not very good for privacy but it had to do, Sumireko reasoned.

“So, what’s the occasion?”

“Sanae, what do you think about her?” Sumireko blurted out right away.

“That’s very sudden.” Aya smiled. It was a nice and warm smile, Sumireko thought. Until she saw a flash of eagerness. That smile was like that of a vulture, or a crow ready to dive into new gossip material. “Hm… I’m sure you know already, but Sanae’s currently trying to find a new apartment to move into.”

Sumireko did not.

Aya continued, hopefully oblivious to Sumireko’s shock. “Well, I won’t ask what’s going on at your dorm but she’s dealing with something, that’s for sure. Hard to say if she’s changed recently though.”

Sumireko tilted her head questioningly. That was the complete opposite of what Daiya told her earlier. “What do you mean, she might not have changed?”

Aya crossed her arms with a difficult expression and a strained voice. “Maybe I’m just good at this but it shouldn’t be hard to see that Sanae’s the kind that tries her best to look fine when she’s not. And I’ve seen her like this for weeks; it might have been something that was on her mind for a while now, rather than caused by something recent. Her moving out, I mean.”

Sumireko was pretty sure though that it was because of recent events. Aya’s words still alarmed her. “I’m not sure. I think Sanae’s been avoiding me and the others more lately. I can’t help but think it’s a recent development.”

“Well, I could be wrong.” Aya shrugged her shoulders. It felt that she somehow still knew more about what was happening, but was unwilling to speak. “Still, I doubt the issue is just on you.”

Naturally, Sumireko wasn’t satisfied with just that. But Aya wasn’t willing to budge any further. It was different than with Daiya. As uncomfortable as she was with Daiya, Sanae was a topic that allowed her to expose her weakness. Sumireko couldn’t find any way to get Aya to talk. Shaking her head, she decided she needed to ask someone else. Once again she began to list out in her mind the people that Sanae knew.

Sumireko suddenly remembered the episode where she went to Sanae’s club activity. “That’s right. There’s that Yukari-san. I forgot about her. Yeah, I should try asking her as well.”

“Hmm, well, if there’s nothing else...” Aya began to trail off. “Good luck with her, Usami.”

“Thanks, Aya-san.” Sumireko bowed at Aya before abruptly running away from her. By that time, lunch break was almost over. Luckily, Sumireko managed to find Yukari Takeba just as she was midway to her class. It was Sumireko’s first time taking to this Yukari on her own, but it felt easier than talking with Daiya and Aya already. So easy, Sumireko ended up blurting the same question she asked Aya immediately, much to Yukari’s confusion, at first.

“I do think she’s been feeling down lately, but I didn’t think it was anything serious.” Yukari shrugged after giving the question some thought.

“Actually, how close do you think you are to Sanae, Takeba-san?” Sumireko pushed Yukari further. There must be something that Yukari could say here. However, Yukari’s reaction was not what Sumireko expected.

“...Not very, really. We’re just in the same club and she’s the only other member that actually come to practice, but it’s hard for me to say that we’re close.” That was Yukari’s answer. Before Sumireko could think about what Yukari said, she continued. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think it might be better for her to quit. Even though she’s very diligent, she doesn’t seem to enjoy it very much and I’m worried about that.”

Before Sumireko could get her to elaborate, they both saw a blue-haired boy walking in the distance. Yukari, now flustered, said her farewell to Sumireko and ran off. A few steps later, she turned around to say the last of what was on her mind.

“Well, if you get to talk to her, tell her that it’s fine for her to leave the club. If there is no interest, I’m fine with closing it.” Yukari waved her goodbye before going. “Actually. Since you’re trying to help Sanae out, tell me if you need anything. I’ll do what I can.”

X-X-X

Sumireko tried to approach other students after her talk with Yukari, but with the end of lunch break, Sanae returned to class. Sumireko stopped herself from going further. She kept her thoughts to herself until the school end bell rang. From the back, she saw Sanae stood up, packed, and exited the classroom. Finally, she could continue her inquiry.

“Maybe Kirisame-senpai would know something.” It made sense to think that way, Sumireko thought. Marisa was probably the person closest to Sanae in SEES after all. Perhaps. At least Sumireko saw Marisa as the only other SEES member other than herself that Sanae hung around with.

Sumireko grabbed her bag and walked out of the classroom. The third-year classrooms were a floor above so Sumireko took the stairs up. There, she began to look through the classrooms for any conspicuous blondes. When it was obvious to her that Marisa wasn’t there, Sumireko frowned. “Where could she be? She probably hasn’t gone back yet.”

The other upperclassmen looked too intimidating to directly ask, so in the end, Sumireko had to give up.

Dejected, Sumireko made her way to the school gate. It felt like she could perhaps get to Marisa once she came home rather than looking for her now. However, just as she reached the front lockers to wear her outdoor shoes, she overheard a familiar voice from across the steel lockers. Sumireko leaned in, hoping to see and hear what was happening.

It was Marisa and Sanae, talking to each other as they were wearing their own shoes.

“If it’s about finding a place in this city, I’m very good at it. C’mon, don’t be shy, Sanae..” Marisa’s voice was lighthearted as if she was teasing Sanae a little with it.

“Alright, alright. You can be quite pushy sometimes, seriously.” Sanae grumbled a little, but it didn’t seem like she disliked what Marisa said.

“I hear there’s a cheap-ish place near the industrial area. You want to look there?”

“I guess. Let’s not take too long, though.” Sanae was smiling as she said that. She got up from the ground and waited for Marisa too to get up. Neither noticed Sumireko so far. “I feel like doing my homework today.”

“Oh, do you need my help with that?” A mischievous smile formed on Marisa’s face.

“I can handle it myself. It’s just math, Marisa.” Sanae answered flatly. Still, it was a more confident tone than what Sumireko had heard during the rest of the day. It still felt like something was on her mind, though. Was she annoyed at Marisa?

“Says you. What sort of popular girl gets an F in math all the time?” Marisa let out a small laugh, but surprisingly to Sumireko, Sanae followed suit, audibly giggling at what Marisa said for a short moment before she went silent and flicked her senior’s forehead.

“An F is just fate, I can’t do much about it if should it happen after the effort on my part.” Sanae shrugged. “And talking about an F, I hear from Aya that there’s this first-year student that wants you specifically to do her-”

“Anyway!” Marisa’s face reddened. Sumireko couldn’t see Sanae’s expression from here to see what was Sanae’s aim with that remark. “Say, you want to hang out in the usual place after this?”

“...Sure.” Sanae’s tone was lighter than before. “After all, you still owe me a full course dinner.”

“A-ack! Why do you have to remember about that?”

“Because I know you’ll pretend to forget, Marisa.” Sanae was sounding a little triumphant with that reply, and Marisa had little choice but to capitulate. “Let’s get this over with, then.”

“Well, alright.” Marisa picked up her bag from the ground and left the school building with Sanae. However, she momentarily stopped near the door. Sumireko’s heart stopped as Marisa turned around as if she forgot about something, but instead, she left not long after. Sumireko collapsed to the floor, leaning on the metal lockers with relief that she didn’t get found. She was unsure on what to take from the talk the two had, but she found the way Sanae talked to Marisa was strange.

It didn’t feel like the Sanae she knew at all. She was ruder and more forward, for one. None so far that she had talked with actually gave her a clear idea on what sort of person Sanae was, and now with Marisa, she didn’t even match any of what she heard before. Perhaps she was just trying to hide her concerns from Marisa? Sumireko had no idea. Before she could put more thought on this, a shrill voice boomed through the main hall.

“There you are, Usami Sumireko!”

Just right in front of the stairs, all the way behind Sumireko there stood the short blonde girl from earlier. Chiyuri Kitashirakawa was her name, apparently. It was a mouthful. “I hope you haven’t forgotten your promise earlier.”

Once Sumireko recovered from having her name being loudly shouted out in public, she managed to answer. “Um… yeah, sure. I’m ready to do that. I think.”

The veins on Chiyuri’s face looked like they were about to pop. That wasn’t the right thing to say apparently. “Of course you are. Where’s your form?”

“I was um, going to ask if you have an extra copy...” Sumireko couldn’t find it in her heart to admit she had forgotten about Chiyuri entirely and was just about to go ask more people about Sanae. That shout earlier really scared her. She felt like she needed a drink, even.

“How about um, we do it somewhere else?” Sumireko suggested. “We could go back to the cafeteria, or otherwise... I know a good cafe nearby.”

Chiyuri froze. “I-is that an invitation, Sumireko Usami?!”

“Uh… yes, it is?” Sumireko then realized. She had just asked out a classmate she had never met before to dinner. Her, of all people. She felt the urgent need to explain herself quickly, all she wanted was something to drink to calm herself down before she had to deal with whatever Chiyuri wanted.

“I understand! I’ll go get my bag quickly then. So this is what it’s like to actually be invited by a classmate!” Chiyuri had already run off.

“Okay then…” Sumireko’s mind went to think about Chagall immediately, but she shook her head. Ever since the last time she had gone there, the potential of Doremy suddenly appearing there made the place less appealing to her.

She decided to go to the Iwatodai Strip Mall instead. It was right next to the mainland’s station, after all. Sumireko hoped she didn’t stumble upon Sanae by doing so.

X-X-X

“Just now...was that...”

However, while she did stumble upon someone, it was not Sanae. Just as Sumireko arrived at the strip mall, she thought she saw Reimu walk out of one of the shops with a boy from Sumireko’s year. That was strange. With how scared the boy looked, however, it probably wasn’t a date. They had already disappeared from her sight by the time she finished that thought.

“Oh, that’s just Kenji from 2-F. Ignore him. Let’s go in then, Sumireko Usami.” Chiyuri either did not notice Reimu or decided not to comment about her and just walked in. Sumireko followed.

Wild Duck Burger. That was the place the two visited. Sumireko was hesitant at first. She actually really liked junk food such as what was served here, but having someone else with her while she was here meant she couldn’t binge as much as she liked. Either way, it was relatively cheap all things considered. The two of them found their seat and Sumireko went on to order their food. She was feeling a little kind for once and paid for Chiyuri’s order on top of her own.

Once Sumireko returned with their tray of food, Chiyuri seemed to be intent on speaking, but instead, they went to eat in silence. Chiyuri was distracted the food itself, but Sumireko was feeling too awkward to say anything. Chiyuri was her class representative, but she only even knew about her today. That was embarrassing, wasn’t it?

It was only after they had finished eating when the topic of the form was brought up again.

“Right, the form then.” Chiyuri brought out a freshly printed handout and placed it on the table. Now that Sumireko had something to drink she was willing to go along with whatever it was Chiyuri wanted.

“It’s very simple really, you just answer a few questions here and here.” Chiyuri’s fingers danced all around the page as she explained what each section of the questionnaire wanted from her. It was a little overkill just for a single questionnaire but Sumireko wasn’t going to question it and slowly filled it in.

“What do I want to be…? Undecided.” Sumireko immediately wrote in.

“You can think a bit more about that, Usami Sumireko.”

“It’s true though.” Sumireko didn’t want to think about it very much. Even if Chiyuri looked unsatisfied with that answer she wasn’t going to budge or think about it very much.

In just ten minutes Sumireko filled out everything. Chiyuri remained silent the entire time until she spoke up. “Give that to me, Usami Sumireko.”

Sumireko handed it. It wasn’t an unpleasant experience like what she had thought, and Chiyuri was able to get her to fill it. “Well, if that’s all then...”

She was also able to eat dinner with someone new. That was a major accomplishment and it helped distract her for a…

“You’re not leaving yet.” Chiyuri stood up before Sumireko could and grabbed Sumireko by the wrist strongly. Sumireko felt her heart beat a little faster. This was likely a first for her as well. 

“Wh-what is it now?”

“You’ll have to... “

Sumireko gulped.

“Study.”

Sumireko’s heart skipped a beat, but for the wrong reason.

“Your quiz results so far have been worrying. Even though you look like someone who has the smarts, I can already tell you have no intention to study even though we have midterms soon. As Okazaki-sensei’s protege, it’s my job to straighten you up while she’s away.”

Sumireko frowned. “She’s been away for an awfully long time, though...”

Chiyuri didn’t seem to listen to her. She brought up a thick book to the table. She really was intent on putting Sumireko through the wringer. It was for her own good, but...well, on the plus side, Sumireko felt that it could distract her from thinking about Sanae. But at the same time...no, that was a topic she couldn’t bear to be distracted from.

“Chiyuri-san.” Sumireko called out to the blonde. Putting it away would only distract her when she’s being lectured later. “Before that...can we talk about something else for a little bit? It’s about Sanae.”

“Kochiya, huh.” Chiyuri stopped just as she brought out a notebook to the table. She sighed in exasperation. “I don’t get it. Why does someone like her even get to be so popular, anyway?”

“What do you mean with ‘someone like her’?”

“She’s beautiful and kind, yeah, but other than that... it’s not like she’s especially social. Academically, she’s unremarkable. She even skips her homework often.” Chiyuri, who started off looking disinterested, now had seemed to gain a certain fervor in her words. “And her ‘I definitely don’t have any issues’ attitude is irritating on top of that too! Really, I don’t know how to deal with her at all.”

“...You really don’t like her, huh.” Sumireko’s thoughts leaked into words. Chiyuri didn’t seem to take offense to that.

“Perhaps. Really, I just want the best for my classmates but Sanae’s making things hard for me. And don’t let me start on that damn Daiya-”

“Do you know how those two became friends, anyway?” Sumireko cut off Chiyuri the moment she realized it would devolve into a rant. She was not in the mood to listen to a rant about someone she barely knew.

“Beats me. I remember seeing them already together just one week after Sanae transferred.” Chiyuri shrugged. “I’d hardly call them friends anyway. The sentiment is there on Daiya’s part. But I don’t even think someone like Sanae is even interested in making friends her age.”

“...”

“It’s why I’m surprised you can be this close with her.” Chiyuri’s expression surprisingly loosened. “Don’t know what she sees in you, though.”

“...Honestly, I don’t know either.”

“Who knows? Maybe there’s a little proper greatness inside you after all or something, o’ _Sumi-sama._ ” Chiyuri's tone was mean, but she giggled at the end of it. Sumireko frowned instead, hearing that nickname again. Actually, she was more than just irritated this time. She didn’t really understand what happened, but Sumireko raised her voice.

“Stop calling me that!” The entirety of the restaurant had her eyes on Sumi and Chiyuri now. It felt like it had become a habit at this point. “Who even started all of this in the first place?”

“I don’t know. It came out of nowhere but most of the class has adopted it by now.” Chiyuri shrugged. To her, it did not seem like a big deal. That sort of attitude was frustrating. “It’s just a distraction. As a student, there are more useful things that we can do instead of worrying about such insults. Like studying.”

“Just stop calling me that, alright?” Sumireko demanded. Chiyuri might be right, but her answer only stressed Sumireko out further. It felt like a bad omen moving forward. A repeat performance. Just like in her middle school...Though, maybe she was just getting more irritable lately.

“Anyway.” Without making the promise, Chiyuri was quick to shift the conversation away. “I don’t mean to talk bad about Sanae, but if you want a friend, it’s probably best to find someone that genuinely cares about you.”

“But…”

“Enough of the distraction. We’re here to study, Usami.”

X-X-X

Sumireko decided to stay after Chiyuri left. Ignoring of the sea of strangers all around her, Sumireko let her gaze linger at the empty seat before her.

_I actually am quite good at lying. Did you know that, Usami-san?_

Sanae had once said that while they were together at the arcade. Back then Sumireko tried not to think about it, but she could no longer ignore the issue. Sanae was good at lying. She lied often. To Sumireko and to the people that she called friends.

...Was Sumireko’s friendship with Sanae genuine? Did Sanae ever see her as a friend?

Who actually was Sanae? The mental image of Sanae Kochiya that Sumireko built up was crumbling. The more she asked around, the less she felt like she knew her. The new version of Sanae that Sumireko could construct from all the information she could gather seemed like a different person. Put them side by side and Sumireko couldn’t tell who was the real Sanae and who was just the outer facade.

Sumireko wanted so desperately to not doubt her, but she couldn’t stop feeling that way. It was just as Renko said.

Sumireko couldn’t help but think again.

She saw in her mind Renko’s facial expression. One of slight mockery and a twinge of sympathy. She would be sitting there in the seat across, her arms crossed on the table. She would say...

“Excuse me, may I sit here?”

Sumireko shook her head and glanced upwards. Standing there was an older woman in a business suit, hanging her head sideways with a tray of food held in her arm. She had the kind of smile someone would give to a friend. They made eye contact. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You’re… Ruri-san!” Sumireko nodded politely and gestured in front of her. “No, feel free!”

“Thanks.” Ruri eagerly accepted. She held out a cup of ice cream, as there were two on her tray. “Here, take one. Let this older lady treat you a little.”

“No, I don’t…” It bothered Sumireko to receive a free gift.

“I insist.” Without missing a beat, Ruri smile became wider. WIth such an irresistible smile, Sumireko gave in and accepted.

They both dug into their ice cream. 

It was sweet. Sumireko didn’t like it very much.

“Ah! That hit the spot. Really refreshes you after a long day of work.” Rumi exhaled deeply and then spoke, almost to herself. Sumireko wondered whether to laugh along and agree. She wasn’t a working adult though.

“Well, it’s… nice.” Sumireko spoke and ate quietly.

From the corner of her eye, Sumireko saw the older lady put her cup of ice cream down on the table, Ruri paused, and then asked, “How was the book I lent you?”

Sumireko looked up from her cup but kept her gaze away from Ruri’s own. It wasn’t a difficult topic to talk about, so she hoped it would help her perk up. “...I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s a fun novel. It’s not a mystery novel at all, but it feels like the author at her youngest. It's so unlike Christie's other works. The characters are bright, vibrant, they dance on the pages.”

“It was her second ever novel, I forgot if I said that last time.” Ruri chimed in. “Do you like the two main characters?”

“I do, very much! They’re adorable together, Tommy and Tuppence. They get along so well...” Sumireko broke her speech to sip her leftover drink.

“Makes you a little envious, doesn’t it?” Ruri whispered. 

“N-No! Not at all.” Sumireko hastily crossed her arms. Of course, their relationship was not the kind like what Sumireko wanted to be in, but... their closeness sure was enviable. What Ruri said made Sumireko wonder, however. Was Ruri looking for someone, a Tommy in her life? If that's the case, then Sumireko...

“Well, that aside, it’s a great novel. Even thinking about it makes me less stressed.” Ruri picked up Sumireko's distressed feeling, and not pry further. Sumireko didn't manage to ask the question she had in mind to Ruri, either. Perhaps keeping it open would be for the best. But now, she couldn't bring her eyes to look at Ruri's. Just thinking about the passing thought earlier on Ruri's preference dampened her mood.

“You must really love it then.” Sumireko kept her eyes away. She didn’t feel like letting Ruri see how she looked like right now.

“Well… isn’t it the same for you?” Ruri continued. Sumireko saw from the corner of her eye that Ruri kept her gaze steadily fixed at her, her ice cream ignored. “Don’t you already feel better?”

Sumireko’s gaze remained on the table without her making a gesture.

The older lady broke into a smile. “Maybe even a little?”

“I...” Sumireko shook her head. “I don’t know.”

Finally, she heard Ruri grab her own cup of ice cream, and her spoon hitting the cup as she dug in. “Mm, do you want to talk about something else then?”

Sumireko shook her head. Her feelings regarding Ruri only made her thoughts wander back to Sanae. Ruri picked up on her distressed expression.

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

Sumireko did not respond.

“I won’t push you into it if you don’t want to.”

“Well…” Sumireko’s spoon hit the bottom of her cup. Her eyes returned to it and saw the ice cream had already run out, only a small amount of molten cream stained the bottom of the cup.

Sumireko hesitated. As much as Ruri was someone that she liked, trusting her with something like what she felt about Sanae... Yet at the same time, keeping all of this these thoughts inside felt even worse. For a moment, Sumireko’s thoughts went to Renko again. That short time she saw Renko, right over where Ruri was sitting. It was as if Renko was there only to whisper one thing to her.

_I told you so._

No. Just this once, she wanted to be right over Renko. 

Sumireko raised her head, and her gaze met Ruri's.

“It’s about a friend of mine...”

"Oh?" Ruri picked up something from Sumireko's gaze to her, and perked up herself.

“Lately, she had been acting a little strange. She’s been avoiding me, and I wasn’t sure about why. At first, I thought I accidentally made her mad somehow.” Perhaps it was denial, or perhaps it was just her clinging onto a faint hope. That tiny feeling became what pushed Sumireko to speak up. Her words took shape, she felt it came out of her easier now. “But... I’ve been talking with others about her, and now I can’t help but think we were never actually friends in the first place.”

“Hm. What made you think of her like that?”

“She had lied to me. A lot.” Sumireko hated it. Her feelings on that became clear now. People that lie to her, people that kept secrets from her, people that might be talking crap about her behind her back, those were the worst. She once thought Sanae was like that. And now Sanae might’ve been revealed herself as what she once feared, long after Sumireko chose to trust her.

“I... don't want these feelings. I want her to still be my friend.”

She was her first friend in years. She might not be Maribel, but Sanae was precious in her own way. Even if it was all a lie, Sumireko still wanted to stay by her side.

Forming words became harder and harder. The Japanese language melted into a maelstrom of feelings. Spoken word had failed Sumireko, and her feelings leaked instead from her expression. Wet spots formed on the table in front of her. She was shaking. Her teeth were gritted.

And Ruri was there as this happened, watching her with a comforting gaze. She did not say anything. She waited for Sumireko to recompose herself.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“But you know what you want.” A mature warmth emanated from Ruri’s smile as she said this. “I won’t say that I am good at dealing with these situations myself. But I understand that you still wish to stay with her, even if she lied to you. You still want to be her friend, right?”

Sumireko nodded weakly.

“Then. Don’t you think you should go talk about it directly with her?”

As she said this, Ruri had her hand reach to Sumireko’s. She was able to feel Sumireko shivering.

“But what if she really just don’t want to have anything to do with me anymore?”

“Then you’ll find out for sure here.” Ruri’s hold tightened. Sumireko felt that she was slowly getting ahold of herself better, even by a bit. Ruri's firm hold was reassuring. “I’m not someone that can force you to do anything, but in my opinion, asking her directly is the only way for you to find out.”

“That... it sounds like somewhat of an impossibility for me now.”

“If the two of you are truly close, then the only person that knows the answer you seek would be her, not others. This relationship is a bond that only you two share, after all.” Ruri’s warm smile shifted into a more lighthearted one as her hold on Sumireko’s hand loosened. “You really care a lot about her. More than characters from a novel, you two really are the enviable ones.”

Sumireko wiped the tears from her eyes. “Perhaps.. it really has to be like that, huh.”

“That’s the spirit!” 

“Ruri-san... you’re embarrassing me…” Sumireko's face reddened. But Ruri’s words of encouragement had touched her, and a faint smile returned to Sumireko. Even if much of her doubts remained, Ruri’s smile had lured her out of the hole she made for herself, and she had willingly locked herself into following Ruri’s words despite her doubts.

“In any case, now that you have some idea what to do from now on...” Ruri concluded and pointed to the menu. “How about we both try the new burger here? I’m not very loaded so you’ll have to pay for your own, but I hear it makes you bolder. More courageous. Some kind of marketing campaign, I think.”

Sumireko shook her head. “It’s fine. I think I already feel like I have more courage just from coming here.”

X-X-X

Sumireko walked up the stairs. She had to just talk to Sanae directly. There was never any other solution in the first place. Her doubts continued to haunt her, but with Ruri’s warmth still fresh in her memory, she soldiered on.

Her hand on the railing was shaking, but Sumireko ignored it.

She arrived at her floor and hid behind the corner of the stairs. She looked ahead and saw the hallways were empty.

“Coast’s clear,” Sumireko observed to herself but kept looking around anyway. When she was absolutely, positively sure nothing was going to appear to surprise her, not even Renko, she made her decision.

Sumireko walked over to Sanae’s door and knocked. No answer.

She knocked again.

“...Sanae?”

Her hand went to the handle and turned. Unexpectedly, she didn’t feel it resisting her push. It made her doubt far more than if the door had been locked.

Sumireko shook her head again to get rid of any doubts that lingered. This was an opportunity.

“I’m coming in, Sanae.” Sumireko turned the handle and gently pushed the door open.

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates in general will be very irregular the next month. I apologize.


	18. A Dream of You

X-X-X

### Chapter 15: A Dream of You

_May 15th, 2009  
Friday _

“I’m coming in, Sanae.”

What was inside was nothing like what Sumireko expected. She felt underneath her foot that she stepped on a crumbled flyer, but looking around, the ground was littered with trash and miscellaneous other things. Going anywhere without stepping on anything was an impossibility.

Further into the room were larger cardboard boxes, the ones meant for moving somewhere far away, but they were empty. Tearing her eyes away from them, Sumireko then saw all the other things left lying around: a game console not plugged in, towers of manga to the side about to collapse despite the presence of a bookcase not far away from them. There was even a makeup kit near another corner, with a coat of dust visible from where Sumireko stood.

In the midst of this mess, Sanae was on her bed, noticeably in her underwear with her headphones plugged in. She was playing with a handheld game console and did not seem to notice Sumireko’s presence yet.

The sight of it all was too much. Sumireko was speechless. She took a step back. However, by doing so, Sumireko’s foot accidentally hit against an empty cardboard box, which then pushed against a tower of books piled on the floor which promptly fell apart.

Sanae immediately turned over, putting her headphones away. They made eye contact.

“Uh…”

Sumireko found it hard to explain herself. Sanae was there, half-naked with her game console, in the middle of her personal sanctuary. And Sumireko, still wearing her school uniform, was the one that intruded upon this personal world.

Yet, rather than any yelling, Sanae was as speechless as Sumireko was. It made Sumireko able to relax, even if for a little while.

“Uh…. Ah! I accidentally knocked over your pile of manga. Err...let me clean this up.”

Sumireko’s eyes darted away and she bent down to pick the books up. Sumireko tried to make her movements as natural-looking as she could but she was noticeably rushing to pick up things. After a few moments, Sumireko heard Sanae’s bed shuffling and resisted the temptation to look with all her might. Sanae was kneeling next to her picking up the books as well, silently.

When they were both done, the room was still as messy as before.

“Well…” Sumireko looked around everywhere but at Sanae herself. Her heart was beating faster. Was it because of the presence of a girl in her underwear next to her? Sumireko wasn’t sure. She felt anxious. The situation was too unfavorable for her to explain why she came here in the first place. She wondered if perhaps it would best for her to just leave instead and try another time.

“I...I well, figured that it’d be nice to talk to you again, Sanae.”

But Sumireko had come so far. Even if she was shaking, she turned towards Sanae and said those words. She saw that Sanae too, found it hard to look at Sumireko herself. The situation was awkward for both of them.

“...You can sit on the bed.”

Sanae cleared enough space between the bed and her desk for Sumireko to feel comfortable enough to walk through. Then, Sanae sat on the chair. It was for the better. Neither Sumireko or Sanae was in a condition to sit next to each other now.

For the most part, Sumireko was just glad that Sanae didn’t kick her out of the room. Even if her face was red and she was still trying to look away from Sanae, Sumireko was just glad that the anxiety was mutual here.

Sanae sighed. “It was clumsy of me. I should’ve locked the door as always.”

“Then... should I leave?”

“N-no!” The strength of Sanae’s answer surprised the two of them. Sanae’s face was red with shame. “I mean… it’s probably best if I talk with you when I’m dressed. May I?”

Sumireko nodded. She averted her gaze as Sanae went to get properly dressed. This somehow felt familiar. She was sure that she had written something to this effect before between Maribel and Renko, but right now there was none of the feeling she usually associated with this scene. Only suffocating anxiety was in the room.

Sumireko never really associated Sanae as being someone this messy. Or having these sort of interests in the first place, although, at this point, Sumireko was not too surprised anymore. Glancing on her handheld console, it seemed to be an action-y game that was there at the time. Monster Hunter? Whatever it was, the Sanae in this room really was nothing alike as the Sanae that she often saw outside. It was a little disconcerting.

When Sanae was done, she was wearing a loose shirt and boxer shorts worn haphazardly, but it was better than before so Sumireko didn’t say anything to criticize Sanae’s sense of fashion. Her hair was still as messy as before.

Sumireko’s heartbeats calmed down.

Then Sumireko spoke, “You read a lot of mangas, huh?”

Glancing at some of the volumes near to her, Sumireko was able to read some of the titles. A lot of action mangas were there, most were ones Sumireko recalled as being things serialized on Jump or something like that. No One Piece though, even if that was the only one Sumireko had any familiarity with, even if a little. Sumireko hoped to see any titles that she was actually familiar with, but that only led to disappointment.

“...Yeah, I read them a lot. It had been a while since I bought anything, though.” Sanae’s reply was reserved. Was she uncomfortable with the topic? Reading her was hard to Sumireko. Renko felt like someone who instinctively just knew what Maribel needed or what she had in mind, even if they’re in disagreement, but with Sanae, something like that felt like an impossibility. Sumireko decided to surrender to the flow instead.

“Do you want to buy them together with me later, then?” Without thinking, Sumireko said that. She had no idea whether it would be a good thing to say here or not, but she felt like initiating for once.

“It’s fine. I’ll buy them on my own later.” Sanae replied without showing how she felt. Her gaze was on anywhere but Sumireko. “Still, thank you for the offer.”

“But!” Sumireko protested. She couldn’t see Sanae thanking her as anything other than one of her lies. She was angry, but she managed to collect herself a little before continuing. “You... well... you’re moving out from here soon, after all. I just thought spending a bit more time with you while you still live here would be nice, nothing more than that.”

Sumireko saw how Sanae tensed. She felt panic inside, wondering if she had done wrong in bringing it up. “Y-you know, I, well, overheard you and Marisa talking about it earlier, so...”

“You eavesdropped on us?”

Even if that accusation was true, Sumireko found it hard to keep her gaze on her after that. But she forced herself to lock her gaze on her. Surprising Sumireko however, was Sanae’s genuinely astonished expression, her mouth left half open. Not out of a sense of anger or violation of her privacy, but pure unadulterated surprise.

“...I guess you could say that, yeah.”

“That is rude,” Sanae said that without any hint of irritation on her voice.

“I know.”

“Well, it’s fine this time, maybe.” Sanae took a deep breath. She was somehow more relaxed now. That made little sense. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Did you-”

“No, we got distracted and instead spent our time at karaoke.” Sanae twirled her index finger on her hair for a moment. “That was nice.”

“I see...”

Sumireko was once again stumped on what to say next. The reason why she was here in the first place was to put her doubts at ease regarding Sanae. Yet, while she now knew that behind the awkwardness of the situation, Sanae still did want to see her, she was even more lost on what Sanae was as a person. Was this supposed to be how friendship was like?

Furthering the issue, Sanae decided to get up from her chair and sat right next to Sumireko. Sumireko’s heart was beating a little faster. The physical distance between them had shortened, but Sumireko felt like she was at her furthest from understanding Sanae right now. Her hand was there, right on her side. Sumireko wondered if it would be fine to hold it so she could calm down.

Sumireko grumbled. That would not help either of them. She did not want to do it, but she was finding herself lacking in options to keep the conversation going. And she did feel like wanting to show off, just a little.

She looked around the room and found a small trinket on the floor next to her, she bent down and picked it up. Upon closer inspection, it looked like a game cartridge.

“What is it, Usami-san?”

You’ll find out, Sumireko thought. Sumireko held the object towards Sanae so that she could see it properly.

Sanae asked, sounding a little hopeful. “Are you a fan of this game too?”

“No, no, that’s not it. Watch.” Sumireko started moving her hands around, ignoring Sanae’s slightly disappointed look. Her fingers touched the cartridge, barely covering it from sight. The next moment she lifted her hand and it was gone. She lifted her hands, both wide open, to show there was nothing there. Sumireko turned her eyes up to see how Sanae would react.

“Hmm.” Sanae looked at Sumireko’s bare palm curiously. There was a glint in her eye that was enough to satisfy Sumireko. “Is this a magic trick?”

Sumireko was smug for the first time that day. “It could be a trick. Or it could be magic. Which is it?”

“I bet it’s just under your sleeves.”

“Why don’t you check?”

Sanae inched closer. Her hands grabbed Sumireko by the wrists and she slowly pulled both down, carefully feeling under the sleeves to look for the hidden item. Sumireko had to admit it was a little ticklish.

“Huh, it’s not there.” Sanae finally declared and gave up.

“Now then.” Satisfied once more, Sumireko pointed forward. “Look into your pocket.”

It was there. The game cartridge, good as new. Sanae pulled it out and was all the more surprised.

They looked at each other. It was Sumireko who laughed first. Then Sanae slowly followed.

When they finally regained their composure, Sumireko said, “It was a hobby of mine. Hadn’t practiced much since middle school, though.”

“....I didn’t know you were interested in this kind of thing.”

“The more you know, right?” Sumireko giggled. She played with the game cartridge on her fingers. “When I was little, I like watching recordings of stage magicians. Princess Tenko, in particular, is a favorite of mine.”

“That was so cool!” Sanae looked at Sumireko, the glint on her eyes became brighter. Seeing someone actually liking this sort of parlor tricks made her feel like floating. She was happy. Years of having only herself and Renko as her audience had paid off, even if only a little.

“Do you mind if you show me more of it?” Sanae asked, giddily.

It was just then Sumireko realized that she had forgotten most of the other common tricks.

“Well...I guess I can yeah, but sadly I didn’t bring a deck of cards with me, so-“

“Oh, I have a set of cards right here.” Sanae pulled one out seemingly from nowhere. No, it was also lying on the ground like everything else in the room. Upon closer inspection, they were regular cards but with anime pictures on them instead, one that Sumireko also didn’t recognize.

Sumireko hesitated. Even if she did want to show more, she feared that she would flub the trick and ruin the mood here. However, Sanae suddenly held her hand just as she was thinking. She couldn’t think straight for a moment. Sanae was warm. And that warmth calmed Sumireko down.

“Please, I’d like to see this side of you more.” It was like a plea, yet Sanae was smiling as she said that.

“Alright.”

Whatever doubts she had floated off into nowhere. It was so simple. Sanae was truly happy. Ever since that incident on the train, Sumireko finally was able to see her being happy again. If all it took was to perform more of these simple tricks, Sumireko would do them. A burst of flames welled up from inside of her, prompting her to stand up. “Alright! Behold! This great Usami will show you the next trick!”

With a stronger fervor than before, Sumireko performed tricks for Sanae to the best of her ability. Although her movements were clumsy due to lack of practice and she failed half her tricks, Sanae was impressed by all of them. And they would talk in-between the tricks. Not about anything important, Sumireko felt it wasn’t right. So instead they talked about the things they both liked. Sumireko and the occult, as well as her mystery novels, Sanae and her manga and games. Even if she had zero ideas on some titles Sanae talked to her about, she listened anyway with interest.

Sumireko was happy.

Before she realized it, it was already one hour before midnight. As much as she wanted to stay there, even if she felt she forgot about something, Sumireko had to leave before the Dark Hour started.

“Ah, it’s late. I’ll leave then.” Sumireko stood up. Sumireko stepped to the door and opened it. She turned around to look at Sanae again.

“If...if you want to, let’s hang out like this again later.”

Awkwardly, Sanae made an offer. It sounded like it was hard for her to spit that out of her. Sumireko nodded at those words. For once, there was a surge of confidence inside of her. Sumireko had already decided what to say to Sanae. It only felt right to say so.

“I’ll come again.”

Sumireko closed the door. The hallways felt silent. Even Marisa who hurriedly went downstairs earlier as Sumireko came out of the room didn’t make that much noise. She felt like it was a step in the right direction. She was feeling uplifted and her heart felt warm. She walked towards her room.

As she put her hands on the door handle, only then Sumireko realized she still had so little idea about Sanae as a person or her feelings.

X-X-X

_May 16th, 2009  
Saturday_

Sumireko spent the next day cursing herself for failing to achieve what she wanted from her visit to Sanae. Even if some ways she managed to understand her better, the visit only left more questions rather than answers. At the very least, however, being able to show off to Sanae did enough to not make Sumireko be the one to feel down, and she felt like she saw Sanae smile a little bit more today than the previous days.

Even if she still had little idea on what Sanae really thought of her, that smile alone soothed Sumireko enough to not wallow in her failure.

That day, however, Mitsuru had scheduled an urgent meeting outside of the dorm. She didn’t say the purpose of said meeting, but it was quite obvious that it was about Sanae.

After school, she went there with Reimu. Marisa had left on her own earlier, and Sumireko stumbled upon Reimu just as she finished talking with another second-year student. A stern-looking guy named Onigiri or something. Or was it Odagiri? It probably wasn’t that important. It was to Sumireko’s benefit, however. She didn’t know the way to the meeting place, after all. Reimu was, strangely enough, visibly uneasy even as she led the way there. Once they arrived though, Sumireko understood why.

It was, for a lack of better word, a fancy restaurant. The kind that Sumireko wouldn’t ever dream of entering had she not been with SEES. Imagining how much a course of a meal would cost her made Sumireko want to cry, but at least Mitsuru was treating everyone. Inside, Sumireko saw that Mitsuru and Marisa were seated at the corner of the restaurant. Marisa seemed to be keeping a healthy distance away from Mitsuru for some reasons. All the other tables in the building were empty with a “reserved” sign placed atop.

Sumireko groaned at that sight. That was quite excessive by Mitsuru.

“Make yourselves comfortable for the time being and order as you like.” It was Mitsuru who first greeted Sumireko and Reimu as the two approached the table.

Now seated, the waiters brought in the menu. Sumireko flipped through hers and only found a bunch of French dishes she didn’t recognize. Ultimately, for her main dish, she chose something safe she knew she could handle, something called Coq au vin. Chicken cooked with red wine or something to that effect. In the meantime, the others also made their orders, except Reimu, who didn’t even touch the menu.

Once the waiters walked away, Mitsuru spoke.

“Now that we are all here, this SEES meeting can begin proper.”

Marisa didn’t look enthusiastic. Reimu looked like just being in this place made her very uncomfortable. Mitsuru too didn’t look like she wanted to be here either. It was really a good sign of what was to come. Not.

With everyone else being silent, Mitsuru became the one to continue.

“We are still researching into the two abnormal Shadows that SEES faced during the past two months; the one that attacked the dorm and the one aboard the midnight train.” Mitsuru opened up with some exposition. Those two felt truly different than the other Shadows, even the larger Shadows found inside of the Abyss, but Sumireko wasn’t sure on what made them different yet. Aside from the fact the bird-like Shadow, or as Reimu called it, High Priestess, was able to transport her and the others into a strange-looking place.

“The Chairman is currently examining the combat data from those two encounters in hope of finding a link. What we do know right now is that for some unexplained reasons, defeating them seems to reduce the rate of Shadows appearing in the Dark Hour for the next few weeks. Other than that and how the two of them appeared during a Full Moon, no correlations have been found yet.”

Sumireko could think of one. That little brat...er, Yukari Yakumo appeared just before both of those Shadows attacked. Not that she could say that out loud.

“Let’s get to the point quickly,” Reimu demanded while turning her head left and right. She was right. That was important, but nothing about that was new. That was not the reason why the four of them were here.

“...I understand.” Mitsuru perhaps noticed that and nodded. “I see merit in jumping right into our primary topic. That is, if you two are fine with it?” Mitsuru glanced at Marisa and Sumireko respectively.

Sumireko and Marisa nodded, though it was only then that Sumireko noticed that Marisa’s gaze was actively avoiding the other two seniors present. The smile that was usually on her face was nowhere to be seen.

“Very well, then. Let us address the matter regarding Kochiya.” Mitsuru paused, taking a moment to breathe. Sumireko tensed, her hands grasped the seat she was on. “It needs no explaining that her resignation will negatively impact our operations. Even if Usami had proven herself as more than capable to cover the hole Sanae left, as well as Hakurei’s recent developments, we cannot really afford to lose a valuable asset such as her.”

“Right. And so, we are here now to figure out how to keep her as a part of SEES, I assume.” Reimu replied right after, with Mitsuru nodding in response. “Then, I would assume that it is natural for us to figure out the actual reason why she left.”

“She said it herself that it was because of her inability to keep up with SEES, right?” Mitsuru replied to Reimu’s prompt. The air of unspoken animosity was there between the two of them, but it seemed that they were reasonably connected with each other in thought. “While it was not anything close to what I would consider as a performance that would risk her placement in this group, the past few weeks did significantly affect her performance negatively.”

“As well as the rest of us, I would admit. It was a rough week.” An admittance of weakness was not what Sumireko expected of Reimu, but even she had her limits. Sumireko recalled how those two weeks of dramatically intensified Shadow activity had taken a toll on Reimu’s emotions. “Causing the battle on the train that almost claimed her and Usami’s life, without even being able to help might also contribute to this.”

Marisa was unusually quiet. She was looking around as if debating on something, all while Reimu and Mitsuru debate with each other about the circumstances that lead to Sanae’s resignation.

“Do we really need to do this?”

Marisa finally raised her voice. Both Reimu and Mitsuru immediately turned their head towards her at the same time. It was disconcerting to see, and even if Marisa did not shake, her discomfort was clear on her voice. “We know Sanae has been struggling to keep up with us, as the two of you had talked in length now. So she decided to quit over it. She doesn’t need more reason. SEES is not a mandatory responsibility upon anyone’s shoulders.”

The gaze that Marisa received became sharper. The tension was suffocating. Sumireko couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She had no idea who she should side herself with.

“Her resignation over such a trivial concern could impact the lives of many people negatively.” Mitsuru attempted to argue with Marisa. “SEES needs as much help as it can, especially with the potential of a sudden increase in Shadow activities in this city.”

“She’ll endanger herself if we force her to stay. It would be a risk that she faces, and she would be a liability for us too.” Marisa’s voice was steady. Her disagreement with Mitsuru was clear, but she seemed to be in control of the situation now. “Sanae is more than just an asset. Treating her just based on her abilities is inhumane.”

Marisa raised a strong point, Sumireko thought. She seemed to be adamant on letting Sanae be, but her reasoning was sound. Meanwhile, as much as Sumireko wished the same thing as Mitsuru, she couldn’t bring herself to agree with how Mitsuru sounded here. She looked at Reimu, who now was also watching the two sides of the argument. Sumireko wondered who Reimu might support. No, Sumireko really was just wondering whether Reimu was able to help with her own indecisiveness.

A short silence followed Marisa’s last reply. Was it able to silence Mitsuru? Even if everyone were still properly seated, the tension was still thick. The next person that raise their voice, Sumireko would assume that they would be the one to dictate the flow of the debate from then on. Her eyes traveled through the three seniors present.

And, one of them finally spoke.

“I see. I believe that I had been callous in treating the four of you so far.” It was Mitsuru. She said her words in a neutral tone. It was like an admittance of defeat. However, Sumireko noticed that she had not yet lowered her gaze. Mitsuru brought both of her hands on top of the table.

She was not done yet.

“But you would be mistaken if you think I do not care of Kochiya and the three of you, even outside of the bounds of SEES’ activities.” Mitsuru was dignified as each word left her lips. “No, I insist on having Sanae stay in our dorm, and as a part of SEES. As one with Potential, the dangers of the Dark Hour would follow her even if she leaves SEES. And I cannot in good conscience entrust an Evoker out of my watch for reasons that should be obvious.”

Marisa gritted her teeth.

“I can monitor her new place every night if I have to along with my patrol duties. With her mental health in its current condition...do you really believe that she would not end up feeling worse and worse here, even if she is safe?”

“And that is why,” Mitsuru’s reply was immediate. “It becomes important for us to know what is going on with Sanae. As SEES, we need to help her should she be faced with any issues. We are a team, communication is important. If it is a matter of finding a psychiatrist or consultant, the Kirijo Group can easily arrange for such to happen. If her issues are with us, then the four of us here can at least attempt to become better for her sake.

Ultimately, we can’t let her go, for her own sake. So I want to be able to help her the best I can, as the leader of SEES, as well as her senior.”

Sumireko stared at Mitsuru, dumbfounded. What Reimu said to her, back then on the rooftop, returned to her mind. Even if she found it hard to feel at ease around Mitsuru, even if Mitsuru’s methods and words might be questionable, Reimu insisted that she really did care. What Mitsuru just said reminded her of her own attempts to convince herself to stay in SEES, and to develop alongside it.

Marisa’s gaze was downwards. Her body language might seem to indicate that she didn’t feel like admitting defeat yet, but there was no argument against Mitsuru’s. Once again, silence returned to the table, but it didn’t last long, as Reimu had made the decision to finally speak.

“I know that you regard Sanae as your close friend and that you want to help her in your own way. But speak up. You are hiding something from the rest of us, Kirisame Marisa.”

A coup de grace. The flow from here on was clear. Just like the finale of a mystery novel, this was when the detective unraveled the plot in front of the audience and the culprit before pointing their finger to the one responsible of it all. The result of the debate on this restaurant table had now been sealed.

All eyes were on Marisa now. Even the waitress, who came to serve their food, had her eyes on Marisa, wondering what it all was about. The tension was all piling on top Marisa now. One who went so far to defend Sanae’s decision. One who Sumireko felt a sense of jealousy for, as she was able to see a side of Sanae that Sumireko couldn’t.

Sanae’s closest friend. Kirisame Marisa.

No one touched their food, as if waiting for Marisa to say anything regarding the accusation. However, after ten minutes of complete silence, Mitsuru took a deep breath and shook her head, before bringing her food closer to her.

“I understand your refusal to say anything. Do think more about this, we are doing this for Sanae’s sake. She has two weeks from now before regulations would force her to leave.

However, for now, let us eat.”

X-X-X

As promised, Sumireko paid Sanae a visit again that night. It was partly to fulfill the promise she made, and part of it was because the meeting earlier stressed Sumireko a lot. And even if she was not actively thinking about it right now, she was also hoping that she would be able to get Sanae to answer her lingering doubts for real this time.

The door was, once again, unlocked when Sumireko arrived. She knocked first as a form of courtesy before coming in on her own. The cardboard boxes were as empty as before, even if the room itself was a little more organized than before. Sumireko was able to walk through it without knocking anything over this time, and she found Sanae lying on her bed, thankfully wearing casual clothing rather than her underwear.

Sanae lowered her handheld console. She wasn’t wearing her headphones.

“I’m glad to see you here again today, Usami-san.”

“And I’m glad that you’re doing fine too.” Sumireko gave Sanae a tired smile before she sat on her bed. It felt surprisingly warm. Sanae got up and put her console aside. It seemed that she was eager for another show from the great Usami?

Sumireko shook her head at Sanae. She hadn’t made the time to look up more tricks to show, all thanks to how the meeting went earlier. Even if the pressure was not on her, how tense it was still ended up affecting her. Not to mention, Marisa...

To tell the truth, Sumireko was aware all along about why she was feeling terrible. She was jealous of Marisa. Someone that managed to somehow be close to Sanae, to the point of hiding certain truths from everyone else. Someone that Sanae could show her true face to without hesitating. She hid this feeling from Sanae, however. Acting as if she was fine, Sumireko decided to set the course of their discussion immediately.

“How was school today, Sanae?” Sumireko thought it wasn’t the best intro topic, but it was the first one she thought of.

“Ha... nothing much really happened on my end.” Sanae’s words were looser than yesterday. She too was being more comfortable as she was this close to Sumireko. “Though, right after you left class earlier, Kitashirakawa-san ended up in another shouting match with Kasukabe-san. Their rivalry is really scary, I’d rather have nothing to do with it...”

Sumireko nodded in response. Even if Sanae was truly friends with Daiya, Sumireko would understand her feelings here. It was not a matter Sumireko would touch even with a ten-foot pole. Both Chiyuri and Daiya were like some sort of demon from hell, especially when they’re mad about something. Sumireko relented from digging further.

Seeing Sumireko being silent, Sanae took the initiative to continue.

“Oh! Kitarashirakawa-san also told me that she’s tutoring you now. I’m so glad you finally care about your education, Usami-san.” There was a hint of mischief on Sanae’s voice, betraying her kind words. Surprisingly, Sumireko was fine with that.

“She’s the one that forced me to. My grades are fine, really!” Sumireko went with the flow.

“I have to agree with her here, Usami-san. Maybe I have to also tutor you right now?”

“Your grades are as bad as mine, Sanae.”

A momentary silence followed before the two of them broke into laughter. Such playful exchange, was it friendship? Sumireko had no idea, but she truly preferred this Sanae over any of the Sanae she had seen before.

“Did you hear about Shameimaru-san? I can’t believe she’s now dating an upperclassman! Hiraga Keisuke or something like that. He’s also in the school newspaper club, right?”

“...Don’t you think you’ve picked Aya’s habit of spreading misinformation? Just imagine, that Aya, dating anyone.” Thinking about Aya dating anyone, especially an upperclassman, felt weird to Sumireko. Even if the two didn’t interact much, Aya felt like a pain to be in a relationship with.

“That’s surprisingly cruel of you, Usami-san.” Sanae leaned backward, resting her upper body on the bed as she said so. “Though, I can’t help but agree too. Aya’s true love is that big mouth of hers, after all.”

There seemed to be something up with the way Sanae talked about Aya, but Sumireko chose to move the topic.

“Say, have you seen our homeroom teacher before?”

Sanae answered with excitement, and the two then continued to talk about school matters. About Daiya being apparently a half-foreigner, about how her two lackeys once got locked together in the same restroom, about the strange teacher that taught the occult for some reason as the only class Sumireko excelled in, and about many students in their class Sumireko had never even got the chance to know yet. None of this was truly important, but it was pleasant, being able to say so much here.

With Sanae’s urging, Sumireko began to speak about the occult more too. She was hesitant at first, but before long she talked about the history and the perception of magic in many different civilizations and cultures, several famous magicians, as well as a little about the tarot. With how relevant it was to their situation, Sumireko had thought of brushing up on her knowledge of it, but the past few weeks had been too much for her to do so.

“You really like the occult huh, Usami-san?” Sanae was there, listening closely to the good twenty or so minutes Sumireko had talked. “What made you fell in love with it?”

“Ah, about that... I can’t really remember what made me start liking it.” She had a hard time remembering things from that time period. After that accident... it was blurry. What she did remember though, was that part of it was also thanks to her parents’ vast library of English-language books. But instead of that, Sumireko spoke about something she felt as more important right now. “But, well, if we just talk about stage magic, to me it’s amazing in many ways. It’s not real magic, but even so, it can still bring real wonder and joy to the people watching it, right? And I mean, even if all these are just tricks playing with your brain, it has its own beauty to it.”

“It’s strange you know? How such falsehood still is able to bring happiness.” Sanae’s tone became more serious for a moment. “But, I’m glad that it was the case for us both.”

Sumireko turned towards her. Sanae’s gaze was upwards. Distant, as if she was looking at the stars beyond the ceiling. Sumireko realized something. This was now or never for her. As Ruri-san said, only asking directly would make her know the truth.

“Sanae...do you see me as a friend?”

“Of course, Usami-san. We’ve talked this much, so we’re friends for sure, right?” Sanae’s voice tried to lighten the situation, but Sumireko saw her hand tensed. Without hesitating, Sumireko moved to hold Sanae’s hand.

“You’ve said that you’re friends to many other people before, Sanae. But your heart didn’t feel like that, right?” Thinking about saying these words was hard, but when she actually got to say it, Sumireko found it so easy to let out all that was on her mind. “You said once that you’re good at lying. You’ve hidden your feelings from me, and from SEES. So, please, answer this with what you feel in your heart.

Even if the times we shared these past two months were mere falsehoods, I won’t be angry at you. So please, tell me the truth.”

Sumireko took a deep breath. She had spoken too much so far. She could feel her throat hurting. If there was one thing that she had realized from the two meetings she had with Sanae so far, it was that even if she had only seen the false Sanae so far, she truly valued those times she spent together with that Sanae. The kindness that Sanae showed to her. Like a magic trick, what was important was that all of that truly made them both happy.

Even if Sanae had to leave for real, Sumireko wanted to put her doubts down before that.

“I...”

Sumireko felt Sanae’s hand clenching around hers. She was on the verge of crying.

“I... don't know. I don’t know at all.” Sanae was warm. Sumireko felt like she wanted to hold Sanae close to herself. Was this a side that Marisa had seen from Sanae? No, that was no longer important.

It was Sumireko that was here now for Sanae.

“But... even if we’re not friends right now, I want to start becoming friends with you, Usami-san.”

X-X-X

Sumireko had no idea how long she spent her time in Sanae’s room after that. It was hazy. She was not sure what happened after. She felt like she ended up playing some games with Sanae after to lighten the situation. Sanae might have leaned on her shoulders. She might have felt her breathing and her heartbeats, all so close to her. It didn’t feel real, but when she came out of Sanae’s room, her heart was beating rapidly.

There were many things she did not know yet of Sanae, yes. But Sanae had laid her heart bare to Sumireko. And, that alone was enough for her. It was enough to make her feel like she was floating with elation.

“Usami.”

A familiar voice came from behind Sumireko, just as she was walking towards her own room. Her feet returned to the ground. It was Marisa, who was standing not far from the stairs. Her expression was uncharacteristically serious. To think about it, Sumireko hadn’t seen her since the meeting in the restaurant. Was she always there?

“Kirisame-senpai, you are hiding something about Sanae.” Sumireko did not voice it as a question, but an accusation, following Reimu’s tone. “All this time, you knew something about Sanae that we didn’t and kept it a secret from the rest of us. That is why you want her to leave.”

“Yes.” Marisa did not even attempt to deflect that accusation. “That is why, please meet me at the rooftop. I want to talk about something to you.”

Without waiting for any confirmation from Sumireko, Marisa turned around and left. Sumireko wasted no time to catch up to her.

The rooftop was empty. Reimu wasn’t there, and the new railings were still as conspicuous as before. The waning moon was visible above and the sky was clear. With only the two on the rooftop, there was no doubt that nobody would be eavesdropping.

When Sumireko arrived, Marisa was already there, standing and looking towards her. Sumireko’s gaze met with hers. Sumireko didn’t want to come off as mean or dismissive here, despite some of her frustrations. Despite her general demeanor, Marisa was genuinely kind and friendly to her, and to everyone. Sumireko wanted to believe that Marisa did it for a good reason. But, that didn’t necessarily mean that Sumireko would just easily agree with Marisa’s points, either.

Marisa was the first to break eye contact. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“I don’t know who else I can talk to about this. About Sanae. Since she allowed you to come to her room, you’re the only one I can hope to understand my stance here, Usami..”

Sumireko remained silent. What Marisa said made sense. Even if how she got into Sanae’s room might be just because of Sanae’s own carelessness, ultimately Sanae still accepted her inside. She accepted Sumireko to see a side of her that she didn’t show anyone else.

Seeing Sumireko’s silence, Marisa continued.

“I can’t let Sanae stay here as a part of SEES. For her own sake.” Those words came out of Marisa’s mouth so easily. Like an actor who had trained her best to recite her script. “Sanae told me that she could no longer handle SEES’ activities. The last few weeks had been very rough on her. She felt like she was losing control of her life.”

Sumireko nodded, so far it was understandable.

“She felt that the fragile relationships she had established with everyone had crumbled because of her participation in SEES.” And with that, Marisa paused. Crumble, in what way? Many questions formed inside of Sumireko’s mind as the quietness of the night enveloped the two. Marisa had given Sumireko an opportunity to ponder more about her words, but only one simplistic sentence came out of Sumireko.

“Do you mean, her relationships with people like Daiya and the others?” Sumireko asked. Marisa nodded in response.

“With you, and with everyone else. It’s not something that she’ll easily admit, but Sanae fears a lot of things. No, I mean not like ghosts or something silly like that. And so, at the time she enrolled in Gekkoukan, she made the resolve to reinvent herself, all because of those fears.” Marisa continued. Without showing any sense of doubts or worry, Marisa continued to unravel Sanae’s character right in front of Sumireko’s eyes, slowly and meticulously. As if she was peeling away the skin of an apple with a fruit knife. Tenderly but firmly.

“And Sanae fears the rejection of everyone around her the most. She became friends with other popular girls that she normally couldn’t stand. She entered clubs that are popular even if she disliked the activity itself, she acted like a kind and nice girl to everyone, even those she detested, it was all because she feared that others would reject her. She did not want to be seen as an outlier, to be seen as unacceptable.”

Sumireko audibly gulped. That feeling, it too was something that she once felt. Yet while she had Renko and her own apathy regarding her social life to fall back to, Sanae had none of that.

“She constantly thought that if people see the imperfection underneath the image she showed others, her entire effort would be all for nothing. It is why she pretends to be someone she isn’t. Perhaps, she now also thought that with her underperforming within SEES, she would better off leaving first before we can reject her for it.”

“No way we’ll treat her like that!” Sumireko yelled, a reflex. What Marisa said so far was something that Sumireko had seen the signs of. None of it was surprising, even. But... just agreeing to it all, wouldn’t it mean that she had to agree that Sanae was better off not here?

“Of course I agree with you too there, but Sanae… well, her life seems to be dictated by those fears.” Marisa let out a sigh. “More than her underperformance, however... it was your meeting with her in that arcade that made Sanae realize the fragility of her social life. She realized her carelessness, and now even someone like you was able to cross the line she had drawn between you and her. In Sanae’s mind, what would stop others from crossing that same line too? People that, unlike you, would threaten that fragility?”

“But... she still has you, right? You can help her too, right?”

“That is true, yeah. Perhaps it was fate, maybe it was luck, but somehow I ended up being the only one she can tell any of this to. In many ways, you can say that I am her only friend, the only one that has seen the real her.” Marisa paused once more, but this time her gaze went downwards. “But... even so, as her friend, I don’t know what to do. I want to protect her, I want to keep her safe from everyone, even herself.

Yet, how I can help her, if my actions would risk destroying this fragile status quo she maintained?”

Marisa raised her voice all of the sudden, her words were filled with her own distress. Was the situation that hopeless? Sanae truly was a difficult person, but was there really nothing that could be done? Sumireko couldn’t voice anything that was on her mind. Marisa raised her head. There were cracks on Marisa’s own mask of calmness.

“Even when I try my best to argue for her sake, all it does is making everyone in SEES go against me. But, if I tell Mitsuru or Reimu the truth about this, if I tell them Sanae’s actual issues, then they would undoubtedly destroy Sanae’s fragile balance in an attempt to help.” Marisa’s breathing became heavier. There was desperation in her voice.

“So please, Usami Sumireko. As someone that has seen Sanae for who she really is, surely you understand, right?”

“But, what about what Mitsuru’s concern about Sanae’s safety?“

“I am aware. We are aware. She will be fine on her own, I can assure you that.” Marisa answered.

And thus, another silence. It was close to half an hour before the Dark Hour hit. Sumireko found herself unable to do much but to agree with Marisa had said. She had seen it by herself. The Sanae that hid within the confines of her room. The Sanae passionate about mangas and video games, the messy Sanae, the rude and snappy Sanae, the frightful and awkward Sanae, and the Sanae that lived a life made out of her own lies.

The mask Sanae had made for herself was on the verge of crumbling. Once that happened, what would happen next? What did Sanae think would happen next? Sumireko understood her fears. She had experienced it herself. Being someone that was rejected by everyone else. It was natural to "fear it happening again". Being the public chew toy, existing only to be spat out once others had their fun tearing her apart. Having her own feelings played with.

“Do you understand my points? I really am sorry for being this forceful, but please, help me convince Mitsuru to let Sanae leave.” Marisa’s voice was faint. Sumireko wasn’t sure whether it was real or whether she just imagined it.

But amidst all those Sanae, there was still one more Sanae, right? There was the Sanae that had tearfully admitted that she wanted to be friends for real with Sumireko. The Sanae who laid her heart bare to her. The Sanae that listened to her long rants on magic. The Sanae who enjoyed the time the two spent together, even in the false relationship that they had before.

Sanae wanted to be her friend. Sumireko was certain of that.

“You’re right, Senpai. Sanae would be beyond devastated if we try to forcefully help her. I can’t bring myself to see that happen.”

Sumireko took a step forward.

“But, even so... even if you said Sanae wanted to keep everyone at arm’s length from her, she still accepted me.” Another step. Her breathing became steady. She kept her gaze on Marisa. “Please, look at me, senpai. Even if it was all because of coincidences lining up, Sanae is still able to trust someone like me.”

There were only two meters of distance between the two now. Sumireko stopped her steps.

“No, that’s not only it. Even if it’s with someone like me, Sanae still wanted to be my friend.” What was friendship supposed to be? Sumireko still struggled to find the right words to describe it, but as more words came out of her, the more she realized that such definitions would not be important. Perhaps it was why Sumireko refused to feel resigned about Sanae’s situation. “Sanae isn’t as closed off due to her fears as you think she is, Senpai. And that is why I think we both can still do something about her.”

Marisa was silent. Her expression was hard to read. Was it too, an expression of resignation, seeing that her only hope had chosen to defy her? If that was the case, then Sumireko this time would be the one that wished to convince her. It was no longer just a matter of having Sanae stay or leave.

“We can show, step by step perhaps, that the world isn’t out to get her as she feared. We can make her comfortable in showcasing her true self.” Sumireko stopped thinking. Her words were just words that went across her heart, materialized into voice. “I... can’t just accept that my only friend right now is in such a hopeless situation that we have to actively maintain her self-made suffering. That’s just cruel isn’t it, Senpai? Even if you say that it’s for Sanae’s own good, even if you say it’s what Sanae wanted, I don’t want her to stay like this. No, absolutely not!”

Anger gave birth to energy, and energy gave birth to recklessness. Sumireko took several steps forward, to stand right in front of Marisa. The short burst of energy soon disappeared, however, replaced with fatigue. Sumireko’s throat pain returned, but she paid it little mind. As Sumireko took a few breaths, she continued.

“And... I don’t think she really wanted to leave, either. Deep inside, I know she still valued being here a lot. For her to tell you so much about herself, you are someone so important to her, Senpai. It would be hard for even her to push you aside.”

“Would she really think that?” Marisa asked. She was puzzled, but Sumireko felt a hint of hope within her voice.

Sumireko did not say anything. She had no idea of how Sanae exactly would feel about this. However, this silence too was an answer in itself. An answer that Marisa had to piece together by herself. A conclusion she must draw by herself.

“Ah.”

Sumireko wasn’t sure what happened. At the next second, she felt a pair of arms around her.

“I am sorry. I think you may be right.”

“Ki-Kirisame-senpai?!” Sumireko wasn’t ready for such intimate contact in this situation, and her first instinct was to push Marisa away. But she held on tight and Sumireko felt her arms weaken. It didn’t feel bad, actually.

After a while, Marisa let go. It felt that light had returned to her eyes. “That’s right. Looking at it, I may have been too narrow-minded. I wanted to help her so much, but I ignored what she really needed due to my own fears.”

“I- I see. Well, I’m glad I convinced you.” Sumireko looked away, trying to hide a little blush. Even though it didn’t mean anything she was embarrassed by the gesture. It felt very genuine. Too genuine.

But... what now? She had managed to convince Marisa about her own feelings. But, what should they do next? Sumireko voiced her concern to Marisa.

“Still… Senpai, what you said earlier is right. We should not force Sanae to stay in SEES even if it’s with the intention of helping her. For that, we can leave the decision to her.” Sumireko paused for a moment. Her hand rubbed her hair, she wondered about the choice of wording to say next.

“Hm?”

“I... well, something from earlier still worried me. That Sanae might think that we, SEES, are going to reject her for what happened lately.” Sumireko spoke in a hushed tone. She was on the verge of having her voice give out. “Whether she leaves or not, can we at least dissuade that fear?”

“...Ah.” Marisa stood up. “Right. We need to make sure that she feels truly welcome in SEES.”

“But... I don’t really know how to do it. Just saying it... felt weak, somehow.” Sumireko sheepishly admitted. To her, she couldn’t just take someone’s word for it. It would not be convincing by any means. Nothing could really be felt from those words if it’s said outright.

“Hm. I think there really is something we can do.” Marisa said it with a reassured tone. Gone was the desperation that she showed earlier. This was now more like the Marisa that Sumireko knew. Still, Sumireko couldn’t help but look at her with a doubtful expression.

“Was there anything, really?”

“Heh, you’re choosing the wrong person to doubt, this Kirisame Marisa.” Although her thoughts were read like a book, Sumireko wasn’t bothered. Marisa’s confidence made her claim more believable than it should be. Sumireko wanted to hear what she had to say.

“Alright, let's talk about the plan I have then.”

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is a little awkward, but my partner had left this project, and so right now I am writing this on my own. It is the reason why the updates had been unsteady the past few months, but now that the disputes and issues are hopefully over, I will aim for a more reasonable biweekly schedule. 
> 
> I apologize for this.


	19. Lying, and Moving Forward

X-X-X

_May 17th 2009  
Sunday_

### Chapter 16: Lying, and Moving Forward

The Paulownia mall was as crowded as could be expected for a weekend. For the sole purpose of distracting herself from the upcoming midterm exams, Sanae asked Sumireko to go shopping with her. Sumireko agreed since it apparently gave her an excuse to not go to another of Chiyuri’s tutoring sessions.

“Why is this place so big...?”

“Come on, Usami-san! I know some good places!”

_Friends, huh._

What happened last night felt more like a result of a feverish dream rather than something actually real. But, today Sanae nevertheless felt somewhat upbeat for once. Sanae dragged Sumireko around just like her peers usually dragged her around. Seeing Sumireko’s reactions and preferences brought her joy.

From the day the two met, Sanae had been somewhat fascinated with Sumireko. Her helplessness and awkwardness coupled with her attitude was a nice breather for her. She felt bad for thinking about it this way, but at first she felt that handling Sumireko was like having an adorable pet.

At least, until Sumireko yelled at her that one day. Sanae couldn’t forget how angry Sumireko was to her and how that anger hit her too close to home. It hit her hard enough that the next day she went against Mitsuru herself and protested against keeping Sumireko in the dark.

Ah, but that was in the past. Sanae decided to not dwell on it further. What was important was that Sumireko was still adorable in her awkwardness. She went to drag Sumireko to another store.

“This dress is pretty cute, right Usami-san?”

“...It looks expensive.”

Sanae wasn’t even interested in the dress herself. She quickly dropped it and left for another store. So far Sumireko barely showed much interest in the clothing shops so far. She seemed to care about fashion as much as Sanae herself, which was barely. However, while Sanae still had the sense to dress properly, Sumireko seemed to just put on her clothing without rhyme or reason. Like right now, she was wearing an old-looking plain buttoned shirt with a tacky-looking plaid skirt… well, it was that sort of thing that made Sumireko adorable to Sanae.

“Oh, um… Sanae, can we go to that store over there?”

“Hm? Finally see something you like?”

The store Sumireko pointed at was relatively small. She looked hesitant to approach it, but she looked at it intensely. That made Sanae curious.

They were selling a series of print t-shirts with a cute, tacky panda design. Sanae almost laughed. Sumireko’s taste did not disappoint. With a smile, Sanae nudged Sumireko to make the purchase. The two walked out of that store with a bag full of different variations of the same shirt, almost ten thousand yen shorter.

“Mitsuru doesn’t exactly skimp on our allowance, does she?”

Sumireko didn’t answer, the t-shirts were distracting her. Sanae giggled at that. Soon, the two returned to the first floor of the mall. Sanae herself did not buy anything. The cutesy, casual look she usually went with wasn’t actually her taste in clothing. She’d rather wear something more rugged and practical-looking, but what would others say to her if she wore something like that? Even a girl like Marisa still liked cutesy outfits a lot.

“Hey Usami-san, want to swing by Chagall’s? We’ve been walking for almost two hours... I think I need a break.”

“O-oh… sure, I guess.”

Sumireko looked uneasy. It confused Sanae. Wasn’t that cafe one of Sumireko’s favorite places here? “Hm? We can always go somewhere else, if you want.”

“... No, it’s fine. It’s nothing.” Sumireko’s attempt to look fine failed miserably, but Sanae did not push further. Sumireko had her secrets, and that was fine. Sanae herself kept a lot of secrets from Sumireko, so it wouldn’t be fair if she pushed Sumireko here.

The inside of the cafe was as elegant and comfortable as it always was. It was a little crowded, but the two managed to find themselves a seat near a corner. Sanae couldn’t help but notice Sumireko constantly looking around tensely.. Had she gotten into trouble here? This was becoming worrying.

“Watching your back for a stalker, Usami-san?” Sanae figured that maybe a joke might ease the tension.

“No, nothing. It’s just that…” Sumireko looked around one last time, before sighing. “It’s probably just my imagination. Don’t mind me.”

“If there’s anyone messing with you, I’ll deal with them for you.”

“T-thanks, but that’s not… “ Sumireko shook her head and sighed. “You’re sounding like Kirisame-senpai just now, Sanae.”

“Oh, really? Maybe her attitude rubbed off on me a little then.”

As Sumireko’s mood lightened, Sanae glanced at a blue-haired girl who sat two tables away from them. Had she always been there? Her outfit also looked a little too eccentric. A cosplayer? Or just a weirdo? She probably just sat there when Sanae was not looking, so Sanae chose to pay her no mind.

“So… how’s Kyoto?” Sanae decided to spend the time with conversation.

“Too many tourists. I don’t like crowds.” Sumireko’s answer was blunt.

“But it has so many cool places, right? And the hot springs too…”

“Well… I wouldn’t know much about them, I prefer to stay in. Sorry.”

Because Sumireko said it like that, Sanae decided to not push this particular topic further. However, Sumireko’s past in Kyoto did pique Sanae’s curiosity for one reason. She remembered that once, Sumireko had mentioned in passing that she was close to a foreigner girl. It might just be a lie, but it made her curious regardless.

“Usami-san, your English is pretty good, right? Where did you learn it?”

“My parents had an extensive collection of foreign books. I ended up teaching myself the language just to read them.” Sumireko perked up on this topic. Her tone was filled with pride. “I’ve even been active on English-language internet forums since middle school, and I’m still doing fine there.”

“Isn’t middle school a little young to be talking to strangers on the internet...?”

“I pretend to be a college student while online, so it’s fine.”

Both Sanae and Sumireko laughed at that. It was also what Sanae did for her online life. Sumireko then proceeded to say several sentences in English, and what Sanae heard sounded impressive, even if she had no idea how accurate her pronunciation was.

“I guess it’s no wonder you’re friends with a foreigner, then.”

“E-eh? Who told you that?” Sumireko yelped. Her face turned red.

“You did. On your first day of school when we had lunch, remember?”

“... Oh, right. Of course.”

Sumireko attempted to recompose herself with little success. Sanae wondered what the truth was. Of course, the skeptic within her jumped to the idea that this “foreign friend” Sumireko had was either someone she knew online or entirely her fabrication, but at the same time, Sumireko seemed to be very embarrassed when the topic was brought up. So, perhaps the part she should question was the “friend” part. Sanae nodded to herself, as if she had made an important discovery. Sumireko being already in a relationship was a pleasant surprise to be sure. Sanae decided to not push Sumireko further on the topic, and smiled knowingly at her. “Well, a lot has happened since then, Usami-san. I doubt Kasukabe-san and the others even remember such a small detail.”

“N-nevermind that!” Sumireko was eager to shift the topic. “What about you, Sanae? What was it like in your hometown?”

That eagerness caught Sanae off-guard. She tried to play it cooly.

“Not much to say, really. It was a pretty boring place. I was glad to leave it behind to live here instead.”The less she had to talk about that place, the better.

“Then why Iwatodai, specifically?”

“I would have preferred Tokyo, honestly, but it was a little more affordable to live here. Gekkoukan isn’t a bad school, either.” And notably cheap too, especially for an elite, privately-owned institution. A little bit suspiciously so, as Aya would’ve said, but Sanae didn’t voice this part to Sumireko.

“Where do you come from, anyway?”

“Just a small town in Nagano. You’ve probably never heard of it.”

Sumireko was now the one on the offensive. It made Sanae uncomfortable. She looked around for a way to shift the topic, and noticed a waitress currently serving the strange blue-haired woman of earlier.

“Anyway! Let’s order something already, Usami-san. My throat is dry from all this talk.”

“...Ah, sure then.”

And a crisis was averted. Sanae felt relief. Spending time with Sumireko like this had been nice. She was used to doing this with her peers, but for once she felt invested in it. Was this the feeling of having a real friend?

But, what made this time different?

X-X-X

_May 21st, 2009  
Thursday_

Sanae walked out of class with a tired look on her face. Her Mathematics exam had went horribly and it left her drained. On top of that, Sumireko ran off before she could ask her to hang out with her. The two had already spent more time together this week than before, which was nice, but Sumireko’s absence was still noticeable. Without her realizing it, Sanae felt that she had grown attached to that disastrous mess of a girl.

Seeing the date, Sanae decided to return home early to rest. Otherwise-

“Hello there, Kochiya! Happy birthday!”

_...Of course._

“Thank you, but please keep quiet about it…”

Just as she was going to the lockers, Sanae was greeted by her classmate Aya. Sanae had never really disclosed her birthday to anyone to prevent headaches for herself, but there was no hiding anything from Aya, the prime gossipmonger of the school.

“Did you intentionally seek me out to say that?” Sanae sighed. Sometimes, Aya’s antics were frustrating to her, but it’s not something she could easily call her out for. At most she could only mask those as banters.

“Of course! There has to be someone to congratulate the school’s idol on her birthday, after all!” Aya went closer to Sanae. She was clearly enjoying this.

“You’re being way too enthusiastic about this, Shameimaru-san.”

“... Hey! I told you to call me Aya-chan, remember?”

Sanae could not stand Aya as a person, but she felt lucky to be in her good graces. Using her to navigate Gekkoukan’s social circles and to keep up on recent happenings in the school and general trends was important for Sanae to build her image in such a relatively short time. However, doing so also gave Aya a scary amount of control over her life.

As the two of them approached the lockers, Sanae noticed a letter jutting out from hers. A pink colored one this time. Sanae knew what it was already, but pretended to look confused and surprised while opening her locker and finding more of them inside. Some were plain white, while some others were even decorated with extra accessories to make them look pretty.

“As popular as always, I see. You gonna go over them now or later?”

“I’m sure you’ll end up sticking your nose into it either way, right? Well... whatever. They’re just love letters, anyways.” Taking all of the letters with her along with her bag, Sanae went to the outdoor corridor behind the school with Aya tailing her rather than returning home. If any of them were especially bad, laughing at it along with someone should feel nice. The two found a relatively secluded place under the trees to read the letters and sat down.

“Oooh, looks like some of these are from girls.” Aya sounded like a kid during Christmas as Sanae opened the first letter. The folding of this one was awkward as well as the handwriting, but the contents were surprisingly heartfelt. It was from a first year, a girl named Tatara. Sanae vaguely remembered Aya telling her about how a first year with a similar name ended up Lost during PE class a few weeks ago and had to be hospitalized. Maybe they were the same girl?

“Not really the first time, but there are more than usual lately.” Other than that though, Sanae did not know anything about her and had no intention of reciprocating her feelings. But at least, she was glad that this girl had recovered.

“Maybe the guys just gave up, seeing as you rejected them all. I guess they figured you didn’t swing that way, Kochiya.”

“That’s a dangerous leap you’re making there.” Sanae grumbled as she folded Tatara’s letter back into the envelope. Answering this one personally was tempting, but even if it was a rejection, Sanae worried that it would send the wrong signal to treat this one differently.

“Who knows? Maybe the girls thought they had a better shot, especially since you associate so closely with Marisa. Which team she plays for is pretty much a public secret, even if she doesn’t say it out loud.”

Hearing that about Marisa only made Sanae sigh. Marisa could get away with things most girls couldn't. Sanae had no issue with romance between girls herself, but she knew that many people did, and Marisa made it look much easier than it actually was. These girls were only making their lives harder by sending these letters. Not everyone had the strength to carve their own path.

“So what about it? Are they right?”

“Both boys and girls disinterest me.” Sanae dismissed Aya’s inquiry. “I can’t bring myself to care about romance. There’s a lot more to adolescence than just falling in love.”

“Like Usami Sumireko, right?”

“Are you doing this just to irritate me, Shameimaru-san?”

Sanae was already on her third letter. This one was from a boy in her class, but she didn't pay enough attention to him to know anything beyond that. Being the object of desire of these people was irritating, really, especially because Sanae knew that most only really liked her for being eye candy. Her appearance mattered more to them than it did to her.

“Usami-san already has a girlfriend, anyway.”

Sanae continued with the fourth letter. Opening these letters with someone’s company did help alleviate her irritation, though. Even if that person was Aya Shameimaru, of all people.

“That foreigner she talked about two months ago? Are you saying she’s not just her own invention?”

“Usami-san showed me pictures of her last Sunday.”

“...Yeah, no, I’m not buying that.”

Their farcical exchange then continued. Sanae was tempted to push the topic further on the off-chance it’d lead to Aya investigating it further, but she ended up refraining. Involving Sumireko with Aya would be terrible for Sumireko’s wellbeing. So instead, the two discussed recent rumors as per usual, all while Sanae continued going through the letters.

Aya sure was convenient.

“Aya-chan, is that really all?”

“Hm... since it’s exam week, there really isn’t much. Oh! You know, recently our resident rooftop dweller ghost-”

“Hakurei-senpai.”

“Yeah, yeah, her. She’s been oddly social lately. Just yesterday I saw her hanging out with the captain of the Boxing Club. I’ve been trying to think of a way to spin it as some kind of spicy blossoming romance, but...”

“Teen romance is about the only thing you care about, isn’t it? Are you a voyeur, Shameimaru-san?” Sanae read the seventh and folded it just after its first sentence. That one was actually directed to Marisa. For the sender’s sake, Sanae decided to not forward the letter to its proper address.

“Owww, that hurts.” Aya pouted.

“Perverted, nosy, unscrupulous... a great paparazzi in the making.” Sanae went on without even looking at Aya.

“You finally see I'm destined for greatness, eh?” Sanae could tell that her barb hit a nerve this time, but Aya kept her composure and played it off.

“Yeah, destined to be a great vulture who plays with other people's lives to benefit her own.” Going with the flow a little too much, Sanae had accidentally let her real feelings for Aya slip out.

“Ahaha, you always did tell the funniest jokes, Kochiya.”

Aya was not laughing.

“You know what else would be funny? If people found out a bit about the real Sanae Kochiya. Maybe someone like Daiya?”

Sanae froze.

“Just kidding.” Aya stood up. “Whether you believe it or not, I do have scruples. I think you just need a reminder, sometimes. Keep spinning a web of lies and the only one who’s going to end up caught in it is you.”

Placing her hands on her hips, her gaze was squarely locked onto Sanae. From her spot on the ground Aya's shadow loomed over her, seemingly blocking out the sunlight itself.

“Just consider this a warning from a friend... and my gift too, I suppose. Happy birthday, Sanae.”

X-X-X

After Aya left, Sanae’s mind was consumed by many unwelcome thoughts. Only the ringing of her phone snapped her out of it. She looked at the name listed and groaned in response. Of course, it was Daiya. But it was a valuable distraction. Without thinking about it further, Sanae answered the call.

“Our Physics exam is in two days, but it would be prudent to begin preparing for it now. If you are free, I can tutor you today at my place. If you’d like.” And of course, it was about their exams. Granted, Daiya’s actual, other motivation was as clear as day too. Sanae cursed, non-verbally. However, this was still a good distraction. Sumireko left in a rush earlier and Marisa probably was overexerting herself with practice and studying as usual. After five seconds of silence, Sanae voiced her answer.

“Sure. I haven’t left the school yet, anyway.”

…

Sanae had barely paid attention to what happened next. After waiting for a while, Sanae was now in a car, with Daiya on the opposite side of the backseat, her gaze was locked to the road they passed. Daiya always made her uncomfortable, but not in a way similar to Aya. She was genuinely a good girl that cared about Sanae.

But she was also in love with her.

“I cleared everything up with the others earlier. I could stay at your place tonight, if you don’t mind.” Just as usual, Sanae opened up with a lie.

“Really?” Daiya perked up all of the sudden.

“Mhm. But I didn’t bring any spare clothing, so could I borrow some of yours?”

“Ah, yes, yes. That surely is not a problem at all.”

Daiya looked like she could barely contain herself. Maybe Sanae was going a bit too far, getting her worked up like this, but what else could she do? This was how she always dealt with Daiya, and their relationship was just too useful for Sanae to let go of. So, she just pretended to be oblivious to Daiya's crush, all the while using it to string her along. It was cruel, and she knew it. Seeing Daiya so happy over being unwittingly manipulated tied a painful knot in Sanae's chest.

“You really are great, Daiya-san.”

It was a completely one-sided relationship. Sanae had intimate knowledge of what Daiya was like, but all Daiya knew was Sanae's mask. Unlike Marisa or Sumireko, this relationship could never be real. It was held up entirely by lies.

Teasing Daiya did make time pass them by, though. The next thing Sanae remembered was herself in Daiya’s room, lying on the floor while munching on biscuits as she lazily flipped over pages from her textbook. Daiya entered the room not long after, visibly fresh off a bath and looking more composed than when she was in the car. She sat down across Sanae, which prompted Sanae to fix her posture.

“Let’s start this by reviewing our materials for tomorrow. Please open page 50 of our textbook.”

For once, Sanae was actually able to focus on studying. Daiya was an enthusiastic tutor, patiently and thoroughly guiding Sanae through the more difficult sections of the study material. This relationship really was pretty convenient. Daiya was more of a teacher to her than...

“I can’t believe that our homeroom teacher is still absent.” Sanae mumbled as she reviewed her notes. “You’re more my Physics teacher than her, Daiya-san.”

“A-ah, thank you?”

As Daiya's face reddened, Sanae whipped out her phone and snapped a picture. Daiya's eyes widened, and the two girls suddenly found themselves in a playful tussle on the floor, with Sanae straining to hold her phone just out of the other girl's reach as she crawled desperately over Sanae to get at it. As the two realized what they were doing, they couldn't help but laugh.

“I-I suppose, we can take a short break here.” Daiya was still flustered as she stood up. “I’ll get us some more tea and biscuits.”

Sanae leaned back, marvelling at the view of Daiya’s spacious room as Daiya left. If either of them were actually enthusiastic about the prospect of having a sleepover, this room would be perfect for it. Daiya no doubt lived a pampered life. To Sanae's slight disappointment, there wasn't anything weird in the room. No Sanae posters or Classical-style oil paintings of Sanae surrounded by roses, just a single framed picture of the two of them taken during a school trip to Okinawa last year.

“Er… here it is.”

Daiya had reappeared, carrying the tray herself. Was she trying to impress Sanae by being so self-sufficient? Mildly amused, Sanae watched her shuffle over with their refreshments, ready to evade any rogue biscuits should Daiya trip. Fortunately, Daiya proved herself a little more capable than that.

“Um… I am aware that you never informed me of this before, but…” Daiya spoke just as Sanae had a mouthful of biscuit inside of her mouth. “Happy birthday, Kochiya.”

Sanae only nodded, her mouth was too full to voice anything else. She was not surprised that Daiya would know about it. If there was a will to know, there would be a way. Daiya promptly went silent. After a while of silence, Sanae felt pressured to speak up, which she did after finishing her glass of tea.

“Thanks. I hope you’re not preparing a surprise party for me here or something.”

“Um… no, nothing like that.” Daiya looked away from Sanae.

“It’s fine.”

“I apologize for not preparing any presents for you. I was unsure of what to get you, you see, and-”

“Again, it’s fine, Daiya-san. Being with you makes me happy enough already.”

Daiya's face was beet red, but she didn't respond. Sanae wondered if Daiya had any idea how obvious her feelings actually were. She was smart, but clearly ignorant in matters of the heart. At this rate, feigning ignorance might get harder and harder.

“I wonder, though. Why did you choose not to inform anyone of your birthday?” Daiya spoke again after a while. She regained the dignity on her tone.

“Well… I just don’t much care for birthday parties. They’re a little tiring.”

“I see. I can understand why you would think of them that way.” Daiya nodded to Sanae's answer.

“And, well, I don’t really like how it feels, whether I get congratulated or not.”

“Ah?” Daiya looked at Sanae with confusion.

“Well, it’s like people only remember to appreciate you for that one day. If they don’t even do that then it feels like they don’t even appreciate you that much.” Sanae shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe I just wanted to be someone that could transcend birthdays and be appreciated all day every year.”

“That sounds a little bit unlike you, Kochiya.”

“Huh, really? Sorry, I’m just rambling a little... don’t mind me.”

Sanae's heart had skipped a beat, but she managed to maintain a natural tone. Daiya seemed satisfied with Sanae's response, so maybe she was just being a little paranoid. Daiya wasn't stupid, far from it, but Sanae knew that feelings of validation could be more important to Daiya than logic at times. So she relaxed, smiling at Daiya. She still had this under control.

“I’m glad I met you, Daiya.”

…

It had grown late, and the two girls both tucked into Daiya's bed. Fortunately, it was easily spacious enough to leave both of them some personal space. Daiya had fallen asleep first, and all Sanae could do was stare at the other girl's back as she reflected on the night.

_Seeing her this close, she really is pitiful, in a way._

Sanae had seen none of the prideful, model student tonight that everyone else usually saw. She had only seen a lonely, fragile girl who couldn't help but fall for her best friend. Slowly, her hand drew closer to Daiya. Would it be better to just simply accept her feelings? Even if their relationship was just a lie, couldn't it at least be a lie that made Daiya happy? Socially, it could be suicide for the both of them, but if Marisa was somehow brazen enough to make it work, then maybe Sanae...

_Keep spinning a web of lies and the only one who’s going to end up caught in it is you._

Sanae retracted her hand as Aya’s words came to her mind. Her breathing became heavier. She was going to cross a line that she shouldn’t cross. She did not see Daiya in that way. She was not Marisa, who could do anything that she wanted to do. She was not thinking right. Daiya was Daiya. Sanae only got close to her to maintain her social image. She had no further feelings for her than that, whether it was love or friendship. Sanae used her, and she did feel bad about it. But that’s the extent of their relationship. Unlike with Sumireko or Marisa. Those two, she could call them her friends, right?

But was that it, really? Was her relationship with the two of them really that different from how she treated Daiya? Even with the underlying feelings she had for the two, it didn’t seem all that different. She used Sumireko to feel better about herself. And ultimately, her relationship with Marisa...

Sanae was getting carried away. She almost caused her own downfall, again. As her mind reeled at the possibility of her life falling apart, she realized that she couldn't procrastinate any longer. As daunting as it was, she needed to take that first step.

X-X-X

_May 23rd, 2009  
Saturday_

“See you later, Usami-san.”

The two girls parted ways after spending the past two hours together, to celebrate the end of their midterms week. Sumireko left on the bus stop near the dorm while Sanae continued on. Seeing Sumireko in the distance as she returned home on her own felt like a farewell in itself. But it was a sight that Sanae had to get herself used to.

She had made the decision to stop running away from what she needed to do. This Saturday afternoon, she would finally start her preparations to leave the SEES dorm. Her gaze was on the rows of buildings the bus passed. Time passed in silence, and the road soon became familiar to Sanae. A series of apartment buildings came into view, snapping Sanae out of her reverie. She stood up and left.

One week left before she would be evicted.

“Excuse me. I’m here to see the available room we talked about earlier.”

“Right, you are Kochiya. Come in, your old place is still vacant.”

The apartment owner guided Sanae inside with a look of indifference. Throughout the weeks, Sanae had never actually looked for a place to stay. This was the only place she knew. A relatively cheap room in an apartment in the northeastern part of the city. An eerie silence followed as the two went deeper into the building. Sanae grasped her schoolbag close.

“Where is everyone?”

“Lots of the residents here left. This Lost nonsense scared them off. Even lowering the rent didn’t really help much.”

Sanae didn’t continue further. Sometimes it was easy to forgot how much SEES’ activities, or the lack of it, impacted the rest of the city. Even leaving the group wouldn’t mean she could escape that life. Her left hand held onto a hard, metallic object inside of her bag.

“What brings you back here? You were pretty happy to leave this place last time.”

“Ah… a change in my financial situation. That’s all.” Her grip on the object tightened. The man didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with her tone, however, and did not inquire further. Sanae loosened her hold.

“Here it is. Basically just how you left it, outside of a little cleaning, maybe.”

“Thank you.”

It was not a large place by any means. The bedroom, kitchen, and the living room were crammed into one space, giving it a cramped feel to it. The bathroom was at least inside rather than being shared with the other residents. A cheap place, with a look that fit that description. Sanae took a moment to imagine where she would put her collection that she had racked up with the help of the pocket money from Mitsuru before leaving the room, looking defeated.

“How much cheaper is it now?”

“Around 30%, assuming you’ll stay here for at least six months.”

“In that case, may I fill out the necessary papers? I plan to move here next weekend.”

Sanae still remembered the day she came here for the first time. Back then, she barely paid attention to anything, and suddenly she became a resident here. This place was the best of what someone from the countryside like her could afford. This time, she was determined to actually fill out the paperwork herself. That was a part of living independently.

“Hm… student ID, an active bank account, phone number, all good so far.” Once the two were back at the front office, the owner went through all that Sanae had prepared beforehand as Sanae filled out a form next to him.

“Ah, wait. There’s something missing.”

“E-eh? What is it?” Sanae turned towards him with confusion. The movement from her pen stopped.

“You need a statement from a guarantor, especially since you are still underage and without a stable income. I need to make sure that someone would be responsible should there be issues with the monthly rent.”

Sanae did not respond.

“A signed statement from your parents should be good. Last time, your mother was in here to sign in person.”

“W-wait! Can’t it be someone else?” Sanae panicked, and said those words in reflex. The apartment owner looked at her questioningly.

“Er, sure. As long as they can prove they’re able to pay for you if you are unable to pay your rent.”

Sanae sighed in relief. She didn’t have any plans about what to do next, but maybe she could ask Marisa to arrange something? Several scenarios played out on her mind, and Sanae carefully chose which would sound better to say to the owner here as her excuse.

“But-”

But the owner spoke again before she could.

“I would still need a written statement from your parents, even if they are not your guarantor.” The way the owner looked at Sanae now was filled with concern. Concern which remained unspoken as Sanae froze, her brain barely working as she tried to process his demand. “You’re a minor, and I would rather not take full responsibility for you over your legal guardians.”

"... I understand. I will try to contact them." Sanae said with an empty voice. It was the last thing that Sanae wanted to hear. She returned the pen to her bag in a rush and stood up. She turned towards the front door. Her mind blanked at this moment. "I'll return next Wednesday."

X-X-X

Sanae walked on and on after she left the building without any clear direction. Anger. Fear. Anxiety. Such feelings took over her mind, and as it became overwhelming, Sanae ended up sitting on a bench.

Of course, she thought. Of course she needed permission from a guardian. It was always a concern of hers, even if she tried not to think about it. Even if she was living out here by herself, she was still a minor. She couldn't do anything alone. Without her even noticing, Sanae began to shake.

“Maybe I could fake her signature or... maybe I can get Marisa to pretend to be her. She could sound pretty mature, right? There has to be something I can do... something...”

Her mind operated in a loop, repeating the same thing over. Marisa. She would be the one to know how to deal with this. She could do anything, after all. But… no, wouldn’t Marisa ask her about why she would need her help with this? Document forgery would be something very different than her usual lies. Marisa would ask about what would cause her to avoid contacting her mother, and she knew that no matter what she said, nothing would stop Marisa from asking her to contact her mother regardless.

Should she just stay in SEES instead?

But she had gone so far. Everyone had accepted that she would move. What would they think if she took her words back? Just because she couldn’t handle moving by herself. They would have a low opinion of her. Even Sumireko would probably say something cruel without meaning to. And she had relied on Marisa for so many things too. How could she let all of Marisa’s hard work to get her out of SEES be put to waste?

Sanae’s hand gripped the Evoker in her bag tighter.

Even this Evoker was here thanks to Marisa. With the concern that she would still need to defend herself during the Dark Hour, Marisa smuggled one out somehow. This SEES business was driving her insane and Marisa was the one that could accept it without asking further. But now, because of all that, it felt that the only reason she was moving out was just because she was pressured by Marisa’s efforts for her.

She had become too dependant on Marisa and SEES. She was using them for her own benefit, and that was why she stuck around. Sooner or later, they would realize it, and they would see her with scorn. That was the reason all along. Sanae felt horrible relying on them to do anything, but it felt even worse realizing that her selfishness would lead to her being abandoned by the people that supposedly would accept her openly.

Sanae made a wry smile. Just as Aya said, Sanae really had gotten herself tangled in her own mess.

There was only one thing that she could think of doing now. Something that had become a habit for her lately. She dialed a number.

“Can we meet somewhere, Kirisame-senpai?”

X-X-X

The area around Naganaki Shrine was barely crowded while Sanae waited for Marisa there. It gave the area an overall feeling of tranquility. Even if Sanae was not especially religious, she did spend time on her grandmother’s shrine back in her hometown semi-often, and she appreciated the air of peace that seemed to emanate from it.

“There you are, Sanae.”

From the steps to the shrine, Marisa approached her. She was smiling even while visibly tired Sanae returned that smile with one of her own, hiding the storm inside her.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s... well, I’m trying to move back into my old apartment room. but the owner wants my mother’s signature.” Sanae said. “But I can’t seem to get in contact with her, so I was wondering if you could maybe fake her signature for me.”

“...Come on, Sanae. Don’t you think forging someone’s signature is going a little far?” Marisa sounded exasperated, but she played along with Sanae’s words. “I’m sure there’s something else we could do.”

“Like, finding a new place that won’t need a signature?”

“I’m not sure you’d want to stay at those kinds of places.” Marisa paused. When she continued, her gaze was away from Sanae. “Hey, how about I pay your mother a visit tomorrow? I’m sure she’d be glad to finally meet me, don’t you think? From what you told me, she sounded pretty enthusiastic when you told her about me.”

“N-no, you don’t have to do that. We can think of something else.” Sanae gripped her skirt. The conversation was going as poorly as she had feared. Sanae had forgotten that she lied to Marisa about telling her mother about her. “There’s no reason for you to go so far out of your way just for this.”

“Ah, well, if you say so. Sure, we can think of something else.”

Silence crept between the two. Marisa was watching the sun sink on the horizon while Sanae was looking downwards.

Five months ago at this shrine, Sanae had met Marisa for the first time. It was midnight. Her persona had awakened and she was experiencing the Dark Hour for the first time, but despite her fear and confusion, her persona managed to fend off the Shadows attacking her.

What Sanae would have done if Marisa hadn't found her that night, she didn't know. Marisa helped her to understand the things happening to her. More than that, she had brought a light into Sanae's dark life, and ever since then she couldn't help but see Marisa as an idol of sorts. Someone she could trust and look up to even when she had nobody else. Marisa could do everything Sanae couldn't, as if completely unfazed by the fears and concerns that seemed to define Sanae's life. Her life was formed from her own values and beliefs alone. It was truly enviable.

Despite looking up to her, though, Sanae just couldn't follow her example. She had remained stagnant and indolent. In the end, she had found herself just using Marisa, just like she used everyone else in her life. Furthermore, Sanae saw that the cruelest irony was that trying to rely on Marisa less only created more problems for Marisa and the others.

“So, you still fully intend on leaving, then?”

“It’s for the best. For everyone.” Sanae made her best attempt to sound firm.

“… Why are you leaving?”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m way in over my head with this supernatural mess. I’m just slowing everyone else down.” There was a hint of frustration in Sanae’s voice. Being questioned like this made her uncomfortable.

“I see. That makes sense, yeah.” Marisa accepted that answer as it was. Maybe this was why Sanae couldn’t help but use Marisa. She would go along with what Sanae said without questioning her further. Sanae felt safe in talking with Marisa more than the others, but lying was convenient in itself. Sanae sighed in relief.

“But, I want to hear the truth this time, Sanae.”

The world around Sanae came to a halt as Marisa said those words. Marisa was now looking at Sanae, yet Sanae still had her sight on to the ground. She did not say anything. She could not say anything.

“When you called me earlier, I could tell that you were crying.” Marisa did not spare her any mercy. “I’m fine looking the other way if that’s what you need, but when you call me crying like that, I can’t just pretend anymore.”

“Pre-… What do you mean, pretend?”

“I always know when you're lying to me, Sanae, but I go along with it because I thought that was what you wanted. Because I thought that was what you needed.” The more words Marisa said, the more the storm inside of Sanae raged. She had no idea what to feel right now. Marisa had been lying to her all these months. All to make Sanae not worry.

That was so unfair of her.

“I’m sorry if I’m crossing the line here, Sanae. I hope-”

“No, no, no! Stop right there, senpai!”

Sanae raised her voice, hitting a peak in her emotion. Marisa was taken aback by it. The expression on Sanae’s face reflected all the conflicting feelings inside. This was it. The time that she had feared. There was no turning back from here.

“Please… I should be the one apologizing. All I’m doing is messing up my own life… dragging everyone down with me. All you’ve ever done is help me, but all I do is use you, use everyone!. It’s wrong! The only reason I called you out here was to help me with a stupid lie! Even if you hate me, even if we never talk again, just... listen.”

Tears fell from Sanae’s eyes. Those words were words of anger, of fear, of many more emotions, blending into one. Sanae had stopped thinking, and let out all what she felt into words.

“I’m just an idiot who can’t even live her own life right. I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore. This was supposed to make my life better, but it always seems like it’s one accident away from just… falling apart. It’s funny, right? Seeing some fool ruin her own life… I’m pathetic, right? Laugh! Be honest! Stop pretending you don’t **hate me for this!** ”

More than anything however, the louder she yelled, the more Sanae felt catharsis. How long since she was last able to speak out so much without hiding anything? Even if this would lead to a disaster, for once Sanae felt like she had control of herself.

But, as the outburst ended, Marisa was still there, looking at Sanae just like before. The corners of her eyes were wet, but she was still steady. Then, Marisa went to hold Sanae’s hand. She would feel that Sanae was shaking. Part of Sanae wanted to shake Marisa off. But part of her wished for Marisa to continue too.

“I’m so sorry, Sanae. Even though I was in a position to help you, I had been too ignorant so far.”

Sanae gritted her teeth. She didn’t want to hear Marisa say all that. She wanted to deny it, but she had nothing else she could say now. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Marisa.

“But I get how you’re feeling. It hurts whenever you lied to me, especially when it was obvious that you were hiding something. I wanted to be someone you could trust, but even that wasn’t enough. It frustrates me sometimes. So I get that frustration, and I understand why you want me to be angry.” Marisa continued, her hand was still firmly holding Sanae’s. The warmth from her hand said what Marisa did not have to verbalize, that she was there for Sanae.

“It’s just, I can’t get angry at you over something like that, you know? Even after all of this, I still think of you as my friend, and I understand why you relied on my help so often. If I was in your position, I probably would’ve done the same thing.”

Marisa’s tone was casual, but her words did not dismiss anything that Sanae said. Sanae felt her own breathing slowed down. The outburst had made her too tired.

“And to me, at least, I don’t see a point in blaming anyone for this situation. If things get worse, then we can figure out some way to deal with it, like we always do.”

_Are there even any ways to deal with this situation?_

Sanae wanted to say that question, but her own voice betrayed her. Marisa only nodded at her attempt of speaking.

“You don’t have to force yourself to figure out what you want to do next right now. I’ll be here to listen to you once you’re feeling better. Whether you leave or not, I’ll still support your decision, as long as I know it won’t end up hurting you.”

It was getting dark. There was only the two of them in the area now.

“I’m not going to force you to tell me everything, and I’m not going to force you to change, but I just want you to know that no matter who you really are, I will still see you as my friend. Always. A few lies aren’t going to change that.” Marisa’s other hand went to pat Sanae on the back as she smiled. Sanae still struggled to find it in herself to showcase any reaction. Sanae was confused on what she felt at the time. However, she felt warm inside, and the tension she had earlier had disappeared.

“And I know everyone else will, too. At least, I’m sure Sumireko will stick with you no matter what. So, no matter how scared you are of everyone else, there will always be someone that you can fall back on, Sanae.”

“Can I... take your word for it?” It was the extent of what Sanae could voice. Sanae felt she didn’t want to change yet. She felt she couldn’t. This tangled web of lies that ensnared her would take a long time to unravel, and she wasn’t even sure that she would like to unravel it right now. But, knowing that whichever decision she would make, she would still have Marisa on her side no matter what, it made her happy.

“Of course. I won’t ever let you down.”

“… Thank you, Marisa-senpai. Now... maybe I... can...”

Emotionally and physically exhausted, Sanae collapsed, falling asleep on Marisa’s shoulder before finishing her sentence. Marisa did not let go of her hand as her gaze went from the faint light of the sun remaining on the horizon towards Sanae’s sleeping form next to her.

A faint smile was there on Sanae’s face as she peacefully slept.

X-X-X

“Mmm… Where are we?”

Sanae woke up to the gentle shaking of a vehicle. As she opened her eyes, she realized that she was on a bus, with Marisa sitting next to her. The sky was very dark outside, and the city was fully lit. Sanae looked at the clock on her phone. It was already 8 PM.

“You collapsed earlier. I didn’t want to bother you, but we couldn’t exactly stay there all night, could we?”

That made sense, Sanae thought. What happened earlier at the shrine felt like a blur to her now, but for once, she was feeling a little content with herself. Marisa right now had a certain mischievous smile on her face, however.

“Also, for some reason, I think it’s really important we get back to the dorm soon.”

“Now what’s with that smile there, Marisa?” Sanae returned to referring to Marisa informally. It felt like nothing had changed between them even after that. But should anything really change? This was the part she enjoyed the most from her interactions with Marisa. Perhaps this was really how friendship supposed to be, after all. “Don’t think I don’t notice you smirking like that.”

“Hmm, I wonder? Guess you’ll just have to find out for yourself.”

For the rest of the bus trip to the dorm, the two continued their exchange. Innocent and lighthearted jabs at each other, a moment where Sanae was able to speak loosely, not having to maintain any sort of image. And so, time passed without them realizing it. They were then already the dorm’s front door as the next thing Sanae realized.

“After you.” Marisa stopped herself before entering. Her grin made it feel like she was proud of herself about something. Sanae only sighed seeing that, and her hand went on the door handle. Grumbling a little, she pushed the door open.

“If this is some sort of prank, I’ll surely-”

*Click*

**“Happy birthday, Sanae!”**

X-X-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ultimately, updates will still be infrequent for now. I'm sorry.


End file.
